Oh man, what a week huh? Connor Barth finished off his fine performance with a game-winning field goal in overtime, Nick Novak came through when his team needed him most and Ryan Succop came through for his owners with 21 points! And that’s just the kickers. Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury, The Jets were completely robbed and The Giants came through with their first win of the season, after losing Odell, Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard. This season has been a crazy one, and it’s bound to only get more so as this season progresses.
Anyways let’s get back to the important stuff. Ranking Fantasy Kickers. Just a reminder we’ve got three levels of kickers, FG’s, Touchbackers and Squibs. Anyone not listed is someone you should avoid.
FGs
1. Ryan Succop, Tennesse Titans (@ Cleveland Browns) – Might as well go with the hot hand, right? That Titans offense under Marcus Mariota is something to watch….. for kickers. Succop converted all 5 of his field goal attempts on Monday (As well as three extra points), three of them coming from 40 yards or further. Expect him to get his kicks in against a Browns team giving up an average of 25.7 points per game.
2. Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams, (vs. Arizona Cardinals) – Zuerlein had a great day on Sunday, hitting on both of his field goals and all three of his extra points. At this point in the season, Zuerlein has only missed one kick – going 17 for 18 on field goals and a perfect 18 for 18 on extra points so far. Considering how well he is performing and the Rams offense in general, you can’t go wrong starting Zuerlein.
3. Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons, ( @ New England Patriots) – Bryant, much like the Atlanta Falcons offense has underperformed the last two games. That being said, if there has been any constant this season, it’s been the vulnerability of the Patriots defense. Look for Bryant to get plenty of chances this week against them.
4. Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints, (vs. Green Bay Packers) – Lutz benefitted mightily from the offensive onslaught Drew Brees & Co. put on the Lions D last week. And by benefit, I mean he hit SEVEN extra points, as well as 41 yarder. Hitting all those extra points might have cured his yips ( he missed a field goal in three straight games before last Sunday). With Aaron Rodgers out for Green Bay, they will be punting away like no one’s business, and Lutz should reap the benefits….again.
5. Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers (@ Chicago Bears) – Gano has been Mr. Realiable this year, only missing one field goal and one extra point so far this season. He’s averaging 11.6 six points a game this season, which is exactly what you hope for with a kicker. Considering the Bears D performance seems to fluctuate week to week, Gano should be a good play this week.
6. Jake Elliot, Philadelphia Eagles (vs Washington Redskins) – Whoever thought that at this point in the season we’d be talking about the Eagles and Washington being the two teams dueling it out for the NFC East crown? Anyways Elliot has a nice little streak going, making ten straight field goals, including two last Sunday. With The Eagles offense playing so well, Elliot is a plug and play player if you can get your hands on him.
TOUCHBACKERS
7. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens (@ Minnesota Vikings) – Am I the only one who hates when these two teams play each other? Too much purple. Anyways, Tucker seems to have returned to form after his slow start. He should continue to only get stronger from here on out.
8. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots (vs Atlanta Falcons) – Gostkowski’s had a surprisingly disappointing Sunday against the wonderful New York Jets, going 1-2 on field goal attempts and hitting all of his extra points. Although Gostkowski is on pace to have a good season, he occasionally doesn’t have as good of a game as one would expect (he has two games so far with four and five points respectively) chances are those are anomalies, however.
9.Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys, ( @ San Francisco 49ers) – Well, it looks like the Free Zeke Movement is finished. And although the Cowboys boast The NFL’s best O-line, Darren Mcfadden, and Alfred Morris are simply not the players Ezikel Elliot is, and this offense runs on Elliot. So, the impact of his loss remains to be seen.
10. Chandler Catanzaro, New York Jets (@ Miami Dolphins) – Don’t expect Cantazaro to have the same game he had the last the Jets & Dolphins played. The Dolphins have had 8 sacks over the last two games. Combine that with how Catanzaro has missed a field goal in each of his last two starts, and you’re looking at a possible disappointing outing.
11. Steven Hauschka, Buffalo Bills (vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – If this game were in Tampa, Hauska would be much higher on the list. That being said, Hauska has had a surprisingly good year, averaging 10 points a game. He should be good here.
12. Josh Lambo, Jacksonville Jaguars (@ Indianapolis Colts) – I bet a bunch of you are thinking to yourself “Who?” Well, he’s the new Jag’s kicker, Jason Meyers got released earlier Tuesday. The Jacksonville Offense seems to lag at times, which isn’t surprising with Blake Bortles at the helm. However, they do give their kicker opportunities (Meyer’s had two missed field goals in their loss to the Rams Sunday). Lambo is a toss-up here.
13. Whoever Washington uses next week, Washington Redskins (@ Philadephia Eagles) – With Dustin Hopkins likely missing Monday’s matchup, Whomever they pick up has a good chance of having a solid game considering how well this offense is playing.
14/15. Blair Walsh/ Aldrick Rosa, New York Giants / Seattle Seahawks – In a battle for the NFL’s worst offensive lines, nobody wins.