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A lot of leagues are quick to drop kickers from their starting lineups the first chance they get, but we are here today to defend why you should keep kickers in your leagues. The biggest argument against kickers is that people don’t do research on them! The good news is we did that research and will continue to do that research all year long here at Razzball.com!
Another reason we should keep kickers as an option is the ever-expanding starting lineups. In most leagues, three wide receivers and two flex spots are becoming the norm. This has pushed WR4s/WR5s and RB3s/RB4s into many lineups. At a certain point, those positions begin to thin out, so it’s best to have other positions to diversify the starting lineups.
Finally, another way to make kickers more interesting is to implement scoring changes. Allowing kickers to score more fantasy points for longer kicks and lose points for missed PATs and kicks under 40 yards allows you to have more skin in the game. Our favorite rule is to allow .1 points per yard over 30, i.e., a 43-yard field goal is 4.3 points.
Now, if you made it this far, you’re probably in a league with kickers, so let’s talk kickers!
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The Studs
- Justin Tucker
- Daniel Carlson
- Harrison Butker
- Evan McPherson
- Graham Gano
- Tyler Bass
- Jake Elliott
- Jason Myers
The stud kickers above are drafted in almost every league, but does this mean you should reach for them in your drafts? Last season, four of the eight stud kickers were outside the top 10 in points per game (PPG). Meanwhile, Harrison Butker, Jake Elliott and Evan McPherson all were outside the top 15. The one thing those three kickers had in common was that their offenses were inside the top 10 in red zone scoring opportunities and TD percentage. What this tells us is that, as great as it is to have a kicker on a high-powered offense, it’s better to have a kicker on a team that struggles in the red zone.
The Under The Radar Stud
Kicker: Jason Myers
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Jason Myers is being drafted as the K8 after finishing as the K4 in 2022. The Seahawks offense should be solid again this season as they added first-round wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) to an already loaded offense. However, will JSN sky-rocket the red zone offense? That’s TBD after Seattle finished 27th in red zone scoring percentage but 13th in red zone scoring opportunities in 2022.
Sleeper Kickers
- Cameron Dicker
- Riley Patterson
- Jake Moody
- Chris Boswell
- Brandon Aubrey
Kicker: Cameron Dicker
Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Last season, Cameron Dicker was quietly tied for eighth in fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, the Chargers offense was 5th in red zone opportunities while just 18th in converting them for touchdowns. This leads to plenty of field goal attempts, making Dicker an ideal target for fantasy.
Kicker: Brandon Aubrey
Team: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys kickers last season were tied for third-most points per game with notable stud kickers Tyler Bass and Daniel Carlson. This led to Brett Maher finishing as the K3 in PPG in 2022. This offseason, the Cowboys made a change at kicker, moving to Brandon Aubrey! Aubrey showed off his leg this preseason, nailing a 59-yard field goal, which led to Dallas moving on from Maher and naming Aubrey the starter in Week 1.
Kicker: Jake Moody
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Like the Cowboys, the 49ers moved on from veteran Robbie Gould in favor of rookie third-round pick Jake Moody. Last season, with Brock Purdy as the stater, Gould averaged 2.2 field goals and four extra points attempts per game. Both of those marks would have been inside the Top 5 in 2022.
Honorable Mentions: Riley Patterson (Lions) and Chris Boswell (Steelers)
For more from Bobby and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @bobbylamarco.
Sources: Razzball.com, PFF.com, FantasyPros, FFToday, Pro Football Reference and Football Outsiders