Week 3 K Start’em, Sit’em: Kicker Fantasy Football Strategy & Rankings

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Yet again, some kickers are having a rough time for whatever reason. Since the extra point line got pushed back to the 15-yard line, there has been an abundance of missed extra points which can drastically change the shape of the game. In this article, I will go through the kickers who should get plenty of opportunities to convert, and those who are flat out off.

Start ‘Em

Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys

Opponent: Miami Dolphins

StartBrett Maher will be busy this week as the Dolphins have given up the most points in the NFL so far this season (102). That is 39 more points than the next highest total given up. You want to be playing a kicker facing a defense that allows a lot of points because whether it’s a touchdown or a field goal, your kicker is getting points. To go with this great matchup, the Cowboys have also put up 66 points this season. If the Cowboys start getting stopped around the border of field goal range, Maher will put up crazy points.

Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

Opponent: Baltimore Ravens

Butker finds himself kicking for Patrick Mahomes which automatically makes him a top kicker in terms of points. This game should be a shootout. The Ravens have a good defense, but good enough to stop Mahomes? I don’t think so. And if they manage to stop him, it will most likely be in field goal range which only makes playing Butker even better. Just the scoring ability of Butker makes him a start every week.

Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

Tucker is in the same situation as Butker. He is on a high-scoring offense which makes him a good start each week. This week is no different like I said above, this game should turn into a shootout between the Ravens and Chiefs. Shootouts are a kicker’s best friend as it will lead to tons of points from extra points and field goals. Tucker has the leg to make 50+ yarders casually so he is definitely a good start this week.

Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers

Opponent: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals gave up 3 field goals to Justin Tucker last week. It seems they know how to make stops, but just too late which is good for kickers. Joey Slye is coming off a hot game where he went 4/4 on field goals with his longest coming from 54 yards. He also made a 52-yard field goal in Week 1. He has shown that he has quite the leg and will be one of the top kickers in the business. The Cardinals are an excellent matchup to continue his performance.

Zane Gonzalez, Arizona Cardinals

Opponent: Carolina Panthers

I know I have chosen the 3 total games for these 5 kickers, but Gonzalez is also in a good matchup this week. The Cardinals air raid offense is still working out the kinks but is coming together. They are looking to put up tons of points each week. The Panthers’ defense has allowed 50 points this week, averaging 25 each game. This goes perfectly with the Cardinals’ gameplan. I expect Gonzalez to get plenty of opportunities to use his leg this week.

Sit ‘Em

Sam Ficken, New York Jets

Opponent: New England Patriots

Sam Ficken is the new Jets kicker and hopefully an answer to all their prayers. He made his one field goal attempt last week from 46 yards, but the Jets just don’t have a good offense. They are down to their 3rd string quarterback which only makes matters worse. This week they play the Patriots who have given up a grand total of 3 points so far this season. There is a strong chance that the Jets get shutout this week which would also mean Ficken gets zero points. He is not a good start this week.

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Chris Boswell finds himself in a not so good position. The Steelers are going through a rough patch currently. Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury and James Conner is still questionable and wouldn’t be at full strength if he did. This is all to say that the Steelers will not look good on offense which in turn affects Boswell’s production. With all the questions around how Mason Rudolph will be at the head, I’d wait to see how the Steelers perform before considering Boswell as an option.

Dustin Hopkins, Washington Redskins

Opponent: Chicago Bears

Last week, Dustin Hopkins had 3 extra points. Week 1, he had 3 extra points and 2 field goals. The Redskins have an offense that can score, but this week they play the Bears who were the number one ranked defense going into the season. While they haven’t been the best defense, they certainly are one of the best. The Redskins should have a tough time scoring this week which makes Hopkins not a very good option.

Randy Bullock, Cincinnati Bengals

Opponent: Buffalo Bills

The Bengals’ offense has not looked special so far this year. Joe Mixon has failed to get anything going yet this year which has impacted Bullock’s scoring. He also has missed 2 field goals this year already. This might be a little known fact, but the Bills’ defense has allowed the 4th least amount of points this year, only behind the Patriots, Ravens, and Bears. This is looking to be a very low scoring affair between the Bengals and Bills.

Will Lutz, New Orleans Saints

Opponent: Seattle Seahawks

Lutz has the 2nd most points this season out of all kickers, but he may fall back a few ranks in the next few weeks. The Saints will have to figure out how to move on without Brees while he sits out undergoing thumb surgery. Sean Payton has decided to not name a starting quarterback between Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill which likely means things are not going well, and he can’t make a decision. I would sit Lutz this week to see how the Saints respond. There are plenty of good kickers available.