2020 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings: Harrison Butker Benefits From Chiefs Offense

You either love them, or you hate them. Kickers are a part of the fantasy world whether you like it or not. In 2019 we saw some big names show their age, like Matt Bryan and Adam Vinatieri. They struggled, making less than 70% of their field goals. We also saw a season ending injury to Stephen Gostkowski. Looking ahead at 2020, you might be wondering how do you begin to project fantasy points for kickers? First, it has very little to do with their accuracy. That is about the last thing I look at. Matt Gay hit on only 77% of his field goals, but finished as K5 in scoring. Greg Zuerlein was ninth in scoring, and made just 72% of his field goals. Instead, we want volume and kickers on teams that move the ball with ease. Out of the top five scoring kickers below, all ranked inside the top ten in team yards per game. Those teams all ranked inside the top ten in field goal attempts per game as well. The only exception is Baltimore, and we will get to the reason why below.

2019 Fantasy Kicker Stats

2020 Fantasy Kicker Rankings

1. Harrison Butker – KC

2020 Projections: 37 FGM, 41 XPM, 152 FP

Since coming into the league, Harrison Butker has finished top five in kicker scoring in each of the last three seasons. Even going back since 2015, Cairo Santos was sixth in scoring in each of the 2015 and 2016 season. Andy Reid’s offense moves the ball, and last season the Chiefs ranked 7th in field goal attempts per game. Butker is going to be the top dog again, where he will rack up extra points and also have plenty of field goal opportunities.

2. Justin Tucker – BAL

2020 Projections: 31 FGM, 50 XPM, 143 FP

Justin Tucker was a weird one, because out of the top five kickers he was the only one to not have more than 30 attempts last season. He finished with 29, making 28 of them. He did lead the league in extra points, as Baltimore’s offense. The red zone and offensive efficiency were part of the reasons for Tucker’s drop in attempts. The second reason was that John Harbaugh became a lot more aggressive inside the opponent’s 40 in terms of going for it on fourth down. I would expect that to continue.

3. Greg Zuerlein – LAR

2020 Projections: 32 FGM, 44 XPM, 140 FP

Greg Zuerlein wasn’t as efficient as prior seasons last year, but still had a top ten scoring season. The Rams offense was still pretty potent despite having a down year themselves. Zuerlein is one of the safer picks you can take in your drafts, but he tends to go a bit higher in drafts. He has finished 9th, 11th, and 1st in scoring over the last three seasons. The year he finished 11th, he missed five games.

4. Robbie Gould – SF

2020 Projections: 32 FGM, 44 XPM, 140 FP

The 49ers offense was dominant last season, and despite missing three games, Robbie Gould finished as K12. Playing a full season will get him back in the top ten, but I have him as a top five kicker next season as long as he can stay healthy. Gould finished as the third highest scoring kicker back in 2017, and was inside the top ten back in 2018. He is a rather consistent kicker, even though he is getting up there in age. Arizona averaged the third most field goal attempts per game last season.

5. Wil Lutz – NO

2020 Projections: 31 FGM, 45 XPM, 138 FP

As mentioned above, you want kickers on top offenses. It also doesn’t help that Wil Lutz will at least play a minimal of nine games in a dome each season. Lutz finished second in fantasy scoring last season, and has been inside the top ten in each of the last three seasons. Volume has helped with that, as the Saints ranked 4th in field goal attempts per game. We should expect Drew Brees to be back in the Big Easy, and that means a potent offense that will move the ball and give Lutz plenty of chances for field goals and extra points.

6. Zane Gonzalez – ARI

2020 Projections: 32 FGM, 37 XPM, 133 FP

Zane Gonzalez is a somewhat new name, who finished 4th last season in scoring. With Arizona’s offense moving the ball, and playing at a fast pace, Gonzalez will continue to get plenty of the volume. I ticked him up for a few extra points as well, and over the next few seasons we should see Gonzalez be consistently top ten in scoring. He also gets a slight bump playing half of his game indoors. Arizona averaged the 6th most field goal attempts per game last season, tied with the Chiefs and Buccaneers.

7. Stephen Gostkowski  – NE

2020 Projections: 32 FGM, 36 XPM, 132 FP

We didn’t see much of Stephen Gostkowski last year due to a season ending injury. New England came out recently speaking of him having a full recovery and being back in full form for next season. While the Patriots offense had a very down year in comparison to the last decade, Gostkowksi should see top ten volume and have plenty of opportunity. The Patriots went through a few kickers last year, so they will be hoping for more stability. New England still averaged over two field goals per game.

8. Matt Gay – TB

2020 Projections: 28 FGM, 42 XPM, 126 FP

Tampa Bay averaged 2.2 field goal attempts per game, and Matt Gay finished as a top five scoring kicker. He is an example of you don’t have to be the most efficient kicker to put up fantasy points. Gay was under 80%, but had plenty of volume. He also knocked in 43 extra points, as Tampa Bay’s offense put up some numbers. It also helped that they had a horrendous defense and found themselves in plenty of shootouts.

9. Chris Boswell – PIT

2020 Projections: 30 FGM, 31 XPM, 121 FP

Pittsburgh’s offense really struggled in 2019, as they dealt with injuries and a below average offensive line. Chris Boswell might as well have been the highlight of the offense. He finished as the eighth highest scoring kicker last season. Pittsburgh was middle of the league in field goal attempts per game, and with Ben Roethlisberger coming back, this offense should move the ball a bit more. Boswell finished inside the top five back in 2017, but has been all over the seasons around it.

10. Mason Crosby – GB

2020 Projections: 26 FGM, 43 XPM, 121 FP

Mason Crosby finished just outside the top ten last season, and has generally been a top half of the league fantasy scorer. Green Bay’s offense was sluggish at times, but also were pretty efficient in the red zone. Some slight regression there and what should be a better offense if they address their needs, Crosby should retain the chances for a top 12 finish. With Green Bay averaging only 1.3 field goal attempts per game, it was encouraging to see he still put up these type of numbers.

11. Brandon McManus – DEN

2020 Projections: 31 FGM, 28 XPM, 121 FP

Brandon McManus gets a slight bump with the Mile High air, but overall continues to be a steady option. He finished 11th last season, and that was with a below average offense. I like the way Denver is building on the offensive side, and he should get a bump in volume and production overall. McManus has a steady lag, and should knock near 30 field goal attempts again.

12. Dan Bailey – MIN

2020 Projections: 26 FGM, 39 XPM, 117 FP

Dan Bailey was a solid kicker last season, and was super efficient. He made 93% of his attempts, and also knocked in over 40 extra points. He gets a bump playing nine games indoors, but will have those late season games that could be tricky with weather. Bailey is a great last round pick, and should fly under the radar. He is sitting outside the top ten, but clearly has more upside.

13. Jason Myers – SEA

2020 Projections: 26 FGM, 39 XPM, 117 FP

Seattle’s conservative play-calling make Jason Myers a decent option, who finished 13th in scoring last season. The Seahawks averaged 1.8 field goal attempts per game. Myers is likely going to be a streaming option most weeks, unless you are playing larger than a 12-man league.

14. Jake Elliott – PHI

2020 Projections: 27 FGM, 36 XPM, 117 FP

Out of this range, Jake Elliott has plenty of upside. Philadelphia averaged just 1.7 field goal attempts per game. It was not a pretty offense at times, and things should be better this season. 2019 was the first season he finished outside top 15 in scoring.

15. Matt Prater – DET

2020 Projections: 27 FGM, 35 XPM, 116 FP

Matt Prater tends to hang around this 10-15 range most seasons when all is said and done. He is a reliable kicker, who kicks at least nine of his 16 games indoors. Detroit’s offense looked great until the injuries piled up, and they averaged 1.9 field goal attempts per game.

16. Austin Seibert – CLE

2020 Projections: 27 FGM, 35 XPM, 116 FP

Austin Seibert is in this range of options that you will be streaming most weeks. He does have some upside though if Cleveland’s offense performs as it was intended to last season. He hit 86% of his field goals.

17. Randy Bullock – CIN

2020 Projections: 29 FGM, 35 XPM, 115 FP

Randy Bullock could see a bump in production with Joe Burrow coming into town and the Bengals offense will likely move the ball a bit more. Bullock is a fairly accurate kicker, and can be relied upon as a streaming option most weeks.

18. Josh Lambo – JAX

2020 Projections: 29 FGM, 25 XPM, 112 FP

Josh Lambo finished the season as a top ten kicker, however Jacksonville was horrendous in the red zone. They scored touchdowns just 40% of the time, which resulted in a lot of Lambo field goals. I have some positive regression in that department which knocks Lambo down a bit.

19. Ka’imi Fairbairn – HOU

2020 Projections: 22 FGM, 42 XPM, 108 FP

There is a wide range of outcomes for Ka’imi Fairbairn, who finished just 19th in scoring after finishing first in 2018. The year prior he was 20th. Certainly some upside here if you are in a deeper league and need to target someone late.

20. Dustin Hopkins – WAS

2020 Projections: 27 FGM, 23 XPM, 104 FP

We are getting to some of the poorer offenses, which don’t really appeal for fantasy purposes. Washington’s offense isn’t the most fantasy friendly, although they did average nearly two field goal attempts per game.

21. Jason Sanders – MIA

2020 Projections: 24 FGM, 29 XPM, 101 FP

Miami averaged right around two field goal attempts per game, and Jason Sanders will be nothing more than a streaming option within the right spot. We are getting to the last cut off of some of the viable streaming options.

22. Steve Hauschka – BUF

2020 Projections: 23 FGM, 32 XPM, 101 FP

Steve Hauschka finished 21st in fantasy scoring last season, and his weekly ceiling is pretty capped. Buffalo’s offense improved, but they are still on the slower side which negates his upside.

23. Daniel Carlson – OAK

2020 Projections: 22 FGM, 34 XPM, 100 FP

Oakland only averaged 1.6 field goal attempts per game, which is tied for the third lowest. I will be avoiding the Oakland kicking game altogether. Carlson ranked 25th in scoring, and room for improvement is unlikely.

24. Joey Slye – CAR

2020 Projections: 24 FGM, 27 XPM, 99 FP

Joey Slye actually was a serviceable fantasy kicker, who finished 15th in scoring. Efficiency tends to matter when you get the lower volume kickers, and he was under 80% last season. He has some room to move up the rankings, but Carolina’s offense is a big question mark.

25. Eddy Pineiro – CHI

2020 Projections: 23 FGM, 29 XPM, 98 FP

The whole Chicago offense took a hit last season, outside of Allen Robinson. Eddy Pineiro isn’t a reliable kicking option in fantasy, nor is he for the Bears. Pineiro finished 24th last year in scoring,.

26. Mike Badgley – LAC

2020 Projections: 22 FGM, 27 XPM, 94 FP

Mike Badgley was banged up for most of last season, and the Chargers offense is in a limbo right now. There is a chance they are a very bad offense next season, and that is concerning for Badgley’s fantasy potential.

27. Aldrick Rosas – NYG

2020 Projections: 18 FGM, 37 XPM, 91 FP

Aldrick Rosas is a poor kicker, completing under 80% of his field goal attempts over the last two seasons. He isn’t having a ton of volume there either. That will continue. Avoid Rosas at all costs, even streaming next season.

Teams Without A Kicker

• New York Jets
• Indianapolis Colts
• Dallas Cowboys
• Tennessee Titans
• Atlanta Falcons