Week 15 Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Go With Zuerlein

Mike Nugent came on in replacement of Zane Gonzalez last week and showed why he should be a starting kicker somewhere. With how many kickers are missing easy field goals and extra points, Nugent as a backup makes little sense. He nailed all four short field goals and two extra points to put him tied for top performer this week. Rodrigo Blankenship also had a day with three short field goals but made up for the lack of the single field goal with three additional extra points to total five. Lastly, Greg Zuerlein joined the mix with three field goals but one over 50 yards plus three extra points which could be expected which I stated in my previous article last week that Zuerlein is one to target for your playoffs. With a game against the 49ers next week, he could pull out a similar stat line once again. Congratulations to those who live to see another day in the fantasy playoffs. Yet again, here are some kickers to look for on the waiver wire if you require a better one

Greg Zuerlein, Dallas Cowboys

Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
Own %: 24.6

As I mentioned in the introduction, if you did not pick up Greg Zuerlein last week, you are missing out. He had three field goals on the day with one from over 50 yards to make him one of the top scorers last week. The Cowboys have a favorable matchup yet again against the 49ers who have allowed the sixth-most points to kickers this season. After seeing how the Cowboys were able to put together some drives against the Bengals, the 49ers will be a little bit of a bigger challenge, but it will not be too tough for them. With Andy Dalton leading the offense, they have an opportunity to utilize all the weapons they have to get in scoring position several times throughout the game.

Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
Own %: 38.0

Ryan Succop is a top-six kicker in the league but a recent slight decline in production has affected his ownership. He nailed both field-goal attempts last week which put him at a solid point total in comparison to the other kickers. A decent matchup against the Falcons is all he needs to go off with how strong the Buccaneers’ offense can be. With the playoff hopes still alive for the Bucs and this being a big game for them being a divisional rival, the offense will be in full force and the Falcons have not been a good team at holding offenses which bodes well for Succop’s point total. Seeing his past performances which have included a few huge games filled with field goals, Succop is a safe bet for getting a solid number of points this week.

Zane Gonzalez, Arizona Cardinals

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
Own %: 24.3

If Zane Gonzalez does not play due to his injury, then go with Mike Nugent, but the Arizona offense is one to target with how fast they move the ball. It creates many scoring opportunities for the kickers except the fact that they have struggled recently. But seeing how busy Nugent was last week, this is a good sign for the rest of the year. A favorable matchup against the Eagles will also play into a great game for whoever plays as well. The Eagles are in the top-10 for allowing the most fantasy points to kickers this season. With Nugent leading the way for kickers last week, the door is open for one of them to put up back-to-back weeks at the top for the Cardinals’ kickers.

Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Opponent: Carolina Panthers
Own %: 39.4

As we saw last week, it just takes one field goal for Crosby to put up solid numbers given how often the Packers score. One 50+ yard field goal gave Crosby respectable numbers coming out of last week when paired with four extra points. The Packers have scored at least four touchdowns in the last four weeks which gives a solid floor for Crosby. It is when a field goal opportunity comes that he gains value. The Panthers have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to kickers which gives a good matchup for Crosby. If the Packers keep moving the ball efficiently, Crosby will keep tacking on point after point. Just one field goal will be the difference-maker for him.

Cody Parkey, Cleveland Browns

Opponent: New York Giants
Own %: 3.2

Despite a bad outing on Monday Night for Cody Parkey with a missed field goal and an extra point, he will likely have plenty of opportunities to turn the tides in his favor. The Giants allowed four field goals to Mike Nugent last week and could easily do it again with how the Browns have looked offensively lately. The Browns scored 42 points last week against the Ravens who have been strong defensively. Parkey did not play a huge role given the circumstances of the game, but the explosiveness in the Browns’ offense is something to grab hold of. Parkey will be benefiting off every scoring opportunity the Browns get which will likely be a lot seeing how the Giants are doing. The misses are a concern but the number of chances he will get will on the field will balance out any misses that may come.

Michael Badgley, Los Angeles Chargers

Opponent: Las Vegas Raiders
Own %: 23.5

After a horrible week 13, Michael Badgley bounced back by converting on both of his field-goal and extra-point attempts. The boost in confidence will be huge for Badgley as one of the field goals was a game-winner. Confidence is everything for kicking and having him back on his game can bring about high scoring games. The Chargers have been struggling to get the ball into the endzone which has slightly increased his field-goal attempts with at least two in three of the past four games. The Raiders give a good matchup for him as they have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to kickers.