Week 1 Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Some Overlooked Names

As we near the beginning of the NFL seasons, you might be like me and wait until the very end to pick a kicker. As some of the top kickers get taken, it will be a good idea to stream kickers. While kickers are not the driving force in fantasy teams, it is important that you get a good number of points out of your kicker to give you an edge. I have looked up matchups that you will want to look into when choosing your kicker. Typically, a defense who gives up a lot of points will give the opposing kicker points because any score for a team will result in kicker points, but you need to find a defense that will prevent touchdowns as extra points are worth less than field goals. Finding that middle ground is difficult but I have found six kicker options that have great potential for a big game this week. Here are the top kicker waiver wire additions that you should be looking for when deciding who to start this week.

Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

Opponent: Washington Football Team
Own %: 40.3

The Eagles start out their season against one of the worst-ranked teams in the league. With their new name, the Washington Football Team still finds themselves in the bottom tier of defenses this season. The Eagles’ offense, on the other hand, has seen improvements to help Elliott score more. With Miles Sanders returning for his second season, along with the return of hopefully a healthy DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles look like they could put together a functional offense. Elliott is available for the taking in most leagues and is a worthy start this week. It would also be beneficial to snag him early before he grows in popularity.

Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons

Opponent: Seattle Seahawks
Own %: 26.8

Younghoe Koo quickly emerged onto the scene last year when he took over the kicking duties for Atlanta halfway through the season. In 8 games, Koo averaged over 10 fantasy points per game, making himself a steal for whoever picked him up off waivers. Now is the chance to get ahead of the curve. Koo and the Falcons take on the Seahawks in week 1 which does not serve as one of the best matchups for a kicker, but you better get on the Koo train before it leaves the station. We have seen how great of a kicker he can be with last season’s finish. There will likely be a huge jump in his popularity soon and you better get on it before it’s too late.

Justin Rohrwasser, New England Patriots

Opponent: Miami Dolphins
Own %: 1.6

When looking at the possible kickers to pick up this week, the name Justin Rohrwasser stuck out to me. I had never heard of him and it makes sense because he is a new rookie kicker for the Patriots. The Patriots did resign Nick Folk again but the duel seems to be in the hands of Rohrwasser. The plus side of Rohrwasser is his leg strength as he can easily boom 50+ yard field goals which are super beneficial for fantasy owners. The Dolphins serve as one of the best matchups for Rohrwasser to get off to a solid start. We will have to wait and see how the nerves play in but if he is on, Rohrwasser could produce some big numbers this week.

Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks

Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
Own %: 10.4

In a year of very shaky kickers in 2019, Myers showed that he possesses a solid and true leg. 2019 had the worst field goal percentage since 2003, but Myers kept converting week after week, ending with an 85% success rate. The Russell Wilson-led Seahawks are gearing up to be a fighting force on the offensive side of the ball, giving Myers plenty of opportunities to show off his leg again. With DK Metcalf only getting better, the Seahawks will have the power they need to score a lot this season. The Falcons also make a great matchup to start the year, giving all the more reason to lean towards Myers this week.

Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers

Opponent: Las Vegas Raiders
Own %: 5.9

Joey Slye was out there a lot last year with how successful Christian McCaffrey was at moving the offense. McCaffrey is not going anywhere and should be just as much of a factor again in 2020. The biggest beneficiary of McCaffrey’s success besides himself is Slye who will be getting tons of looks in virtually every matchup. Yet, Slye sits at a 5.9% own rate which is incredibly low for the volume he will get. The Raiders serve as an okay matchup for the Panthers, but that will not stop McCaffrey from driving down the field. Slye finished among the top last season, and I expect the same sort of production again this season.

Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Own %: 19.4

To cap off this list, we have Mason Crosby who has been in Green Bay since I can remember. Despite the Packers being a team on the regression line, Crosby has been a solid kicker year after year. With Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams at full health, the ball will be moving. Aaron Jones provides the extra shove to help get Crosby in field goal range. While Crosby is not the greatest option in terms of ceiling, he is a safe option as you can count on the Packers scoring game after game. The Vikings put out a strong defense this week which leads me away from Crosby a bit, but as I said, he is a safe pick for a high floor.