Week 8 Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Joey Slye Is Clear Best

Last week was the first time that I predicted wrong with Younghoe Koo. As I mentioned last week, we would see his ownership skyrocket which is what happened, but a bad performance might have a big impact on him. The Lions managed to hold the Falcons to just two touchdowns without any field goals, severely limiting Koo. Meanwhile, Tyler Bass made his name more well-known with a ton of field goal attempts. He had eight total throughout the game, but only managed to make six of them. A 50+ yarder with three 40+ yarders helped boost his score up to the best scoring kicker this week despite the two misses. Zane Gonzalez worked some magic in the Monday night game. After missing a 41-yard field goal in overtime, he came back and made a 49-yard field goal to win the game. He finished tied for second in scoring by making three of four attempts along with four extra points. Now as we move into week 8, we have a whole new set of matchups. A lot of people with Zane Gonzalez will be looking for a new kicker as he is on bye, so here is a list of some options for you to pick up off the waiver wire.

Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers

Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
Own %: 31.1

Joey Slye has brought in a ton of points each week without a bad week this season. The Panthers have been taking a toll from the absence of Christian McCaffrey but that has helped the Slye as his field goal attempts have increased. Normally, the Panthers score tons of touchdowns over field goals but this year has been different with at least two field-goal attempts in each game besides one week. The Falcons have been a decent team to play kickers against as they give up a lot of offensive yards per game. Matt Prater put up the second-most points by a kicker last week against the Falcons and there is no reason why Slye cannot put up as much if not more points this week.

Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos

Opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
Own %: 35.4

Brandon McManus had a monster week two weeks ago, making all six field-goal attempts with two coming from over 50 yards and two from over 40 yards. He took a major step back in his usage as he only had one field goal attempt last week. He even missed an extra point to make matters worse. Seeing how much he has been used this season as a whole, performances like last week will be far and few between moving forward. He is in the top 10 of scoring among kickers and the Broncos have that offense that moves the ball but might not be able to reach the endzone off every good drive. That showed two weeks ago. They play the Chargers this week who have allowed above the average amount of points to kickers this season. They have allowed the seventh-most field goal attempts per game which bodes well for McManus this week.

Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Opponent: New York Giants
Own %: 20.4

Since week one, Succop has put up respectable if not great games every week. The Buccaneers have recently been on a touchdown splurge which when paired with a field goal or two gives great value to Succop. The offense is scoring a lot which leads to a lot of points for Succop regardless if they are field goals or touchdowns. Points are points. The Giants are another weak defense for the Tampa Bay offense to exploit and run up the score. They are just above the average amount of points given up to kickers this season which leads me to believe Succop could be in for a huge week. If some drives end up short with a field goal, Succop’s score could reach the top for kickers this week.

Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders

Opponent: Cleveland Browns
Own %: 43.6

Daniel Carlson has been a sneaky good kicker this season. At least I never noticed that he is in the top 10 of scoring among kickers and has never seen a poor week this season. He has had at least two field-goal attempts in every week and has only failed to make one field goal all season long. The extra points are also coming in as well to give a slight boost to his scoring. The Browns have been just about average with allowing points to kickers this season which is perfect for Carlson. As long as the defense lets up points, Carlson will be raking in points with his usage. If you need a kicker that you want to hold on to for many weeks to come, Carlson could be that guy.

Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks

Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
Own %: 15.2

It has been rough playing Jason Myers if you went with him early on. The Seahawks are a team that finishes drives in the endzone resulting in a solid floor for Myers, but his ceiling has remained in check. Last week gave a boost to Myers’ points as he put up two 40+ yard field goals with four extra points. The extra point number has never gone below three which is an insane feat, but as we saw his field goal usage take a boost last week, it could be a sign that their offense is being figured out by opposing defenses and falling short. The 49ers’ defense has been shutting down teams as of late which will be interesting to see how they handle the Seahawks. The clash could result in a great outcome for Myers if the Seahawks’ overcharged offense pushes through the 49ers’ defense but the defense is able to hold them out of the endzone.

Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills

Opponent: New England Patriots
Own %: 6.2

After an insane week, now might be the time to go back to Tyler Bass as he is connected to a strong Bills’ offense. The Bills have looked worse the last couple of weeks in terms of scoring but knowing Josh Allen, the points will start to come back. Eight field goal attempts last week is just downright insanity and if he was able to make all of them, we could have had a record-breaking week for a kicker. The Patriots gave up six field goals to McManus a couple of weeks back, giving the possibility of another game of insane usage for Bass. Consistency has been the problem for Bass but the chances are there for him. Once he starts making them more, he could be a viable kicker moving forward.