Week 2 Kicker Rankings & Pickups: Joey Slye slides into top Kicker territory

Week 1 was not a great week for kickers with the Packers and Vikings game being the only game without a miss XP or FG. Going into Week 2 securing one of the better kickers with a high over/under game would be a smart choice early in the week if your matchup looks to be close. You do not want to lose a game by a few points due to a kicker bust, as that always is a punch in the stomach. Traditionally, the more points in a game, the more points your kicker gets, hence why I advise you to look at the betting lines over/under as Vegas is very good at predicting total points.

Another tip that I can add this week is that if you are making a trade early on in the season and your trade partner has a great kicker, like Justin Tucker, then throw him into the trade. Oftentimes, they would not call off a deal due to a kicker and you benefit from not having to worry about the kicker for the foreseeable future. A nice little bonus value in a trade that should not affect its acceptance rate.

Top Kickers

Justin Tucker, while he only had one FG it was a nice 41 yarder, plus Tucker got all the extra points from the multitude of touchdowns scored. Baltimore is taking on Houston which is another juicy matchup when it comes to point totals. Tucker is a lock-in for an FG or two and again will get the singles from the many touchdowns that will be scored by his elite offense. Another big bonus is if you play in a league where you get minus points for missing since Tucker does not miss. He is my favorite kicker on the week.

Robbie Gould is my second favorite kicker though I am ranking him a bit lower at 4. This is because the 49er Jets game should not be too high scoring. However, I see a world where the Jets D is just good enough and the 49ers struggle just enough to give Gould multiple 40+ yard attempts. That would lead you to a “boom” game for a kicker. However, I think that Lutz and Butker are both safer options due to their offenses. Regardless, Gould should be safe and will not be an absolute bust.

Will Lutz is another great option as I think that the Saints will be scoring non-stop against the Vegas defense. If the Raiders could not stop the Panthers then they cannot stop the Saints and Brees. However, the only worry is that Lutz simply gets 5 extra points and no field goals. That is still a good game but I do not see the Saints having to settle for many field goals in this game. He has a great safe play with his offense and matchup, but he may lack the upside of Gould.

Sleeper Kickers

Joey Slye looked fantastic in Carolina and that offense looked better than expected while the defense looked as bad as promised. What this means for you as a fantasy owner is loads of high scoring games and plenty of opportunity for Joey Slye and his big leg. He could end the season as a top 5 kicker very easily and I think that pretty much every week will be a very safe play with upside if the Panthers fail to get into the endzone. I really like Joey Slye to plug into your lineup.

Dan Bailey is another sleeper kicker. He looked pretty promising and the Vikings’ offense looked good while the defense looked atrocious. Very similar to Slye with a more accurate but weaker leg he can be a safe play most weeks. The Vikings will drive the ball and be in high scoring affairs. This week against the Colts and that weak secondary could be a perfect play. Another bonus similar to Tucker is that Bailey does not miss often and therefore in leagues where that matters you should bump up your list a spot or two.

Monday Night Kicker of The Week

A reminder that this segment is for leagues in which you can drop players after they play. This means that you can pick up a flyer for the week that plays on Sunday and see if he blows up or if the player in front him on the depth chart goes down with an injury. If neither happens you can drop him and add this kicker for your K position. This also allows you to see if you even need a kicker or if you have the game won after Sunday.

Daniel Carlson

Carlson hit a huge FG for Vegas last week against Carolina. He looked sharp and has seemingly put the struggles from the beginning of his rookie year behind him. I do think that Vegas struggles a bit against this Saints defense but not enough for Carlson to be a bust. There are so many weapons for Gruden, and Carr actually looked pretty good.

Daniel Carlson brings the ability to hit 60+ yarders and will be playing in a dome this weekend with no wind. He is one of the few “boom” kickers on the week. However, if you are in a league where you lose points for misses, he missed 11 last season. I still think that regardless, he is a good play but if you are going into Monday Night with a large league you may be better off just not placing a kicker instead of potentially getting minus points.