With the NFL season finally here, it means it's time to make a weekly tradition of checking in on rankings to set your lineup each week. Thankfully, bye weeks and injuries have not struck your lineup just yet, so this should be the easiest week of the year to make your roster decisions.
But at a position like kicker, where turnover is common and strong options pop up out of nowhere each year, checking in on rankings is crucial. We've got you covered with our Week 1 kicker rankings, outlining the top options overall and some potential sleepers who can outperform their expectations.
Be sure to check back in on these rankings throughout the week. They will be updated leading all the way up to the kickoff to the Sunday games!
WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy kickers in Week 1?
As previously mentioned, there are often no-name kickers who emerge to be fantasy stars after going largely undrafted. Last season this player was Brandon Aubrey who finished as the K1 but could be picked up on waivers. But it's difficult to predict who will be this year's Brandon Aubrey before seeing them get some in-game reps. For now, the top options are the reliable, veteran kickers who are in strong offenses.
Two of our top kickers come from the same game, Ravens vs. Chiefs. Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker are two of the most accurate kickers in the NFL and both happen to be members of elite offenses. This duo is as reliable as it gets and their matchup should feature plenty of scoring opportunities.
WEEK 1 FANTASY FOOTBALL ADVICE
Buy Low/Sell High | Sleepers | Busts | Weather | Flex Finder
Ka'imi Fairbairn finished as the K26 last year. But this was largely due to his absence from five games from Weeks 10 to 14. In terms of PPG, Fairbairn ranked as the K4. The emergence of the Texans' offense under C.J. Stroud played a large role in Fairbairn's scoring, which should carry over to 2024 as the offense continues to thrive in Stroud's second year.
Who are the best fantasy kicker sleepers in Week 1?
Joshua Karty is the new kicker of the Los Angeles Rams. The quartet of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams creates a nearly unstoppable force that will give Karty the chance to rack up fantasy points. Coupled with a matchup against one of last year's worst defenses, Karty could be a high scorer in his first NFL game.
Brayden Narveson is another kicker making his NFL debut with a high-end offense. Narveson earned the job after going 6-7 on field goals in the preseason, highlighted by a 59-yard bomb. The Philadelphia defense floundered against opposing offenses last year, especially down the stretch. They allowed at least 28 points in 8 of 18 games last year. If this trend continues, Narveson could finish as a top-10 option this week.
WEEK 1 DFS LINEUP STRATEGY
TNF DFS Advice | Sleepers & Values | FNF DFS Advice
Notable changes in Week 1 Kicker rankings
After a slow weekend of news impacting kickers, there hasn't been any movement. The below rankings updates were made on Sept. 5.
Jake Bates was one of our biggest movers in Week 1, as he moved up to K11. Bates impressed enough during his time in the UFL, which landed him with the Lions as he proceeded to win the starting job. He has a big leg, and the Lions offense should be a potent one again this year. The Rams aren't the most imposing defense, especially without the retired Aaron Donald, so the only thing really holding him back is a lack of name recognition.
Jason Myers has also made some moves and is now K14. There are some unknowns with Seattle as Pete Carroll is gone, and it's now Mike Macdonald's team. Macdonald brought in Ryan Grubb to run the offense, and there's a good chance we can see Geno Smith rebound and see players like DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba take a step forward. If the offense is on the rise, then it only makes sense for the kicker to do the same in these rankings.
Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings Week 1: Who to start, sit at K
These rankings were updated on Sept. 8. Players that have already played are in italics.
RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | OPPONENT |
1 | Harrison Butker | KC | BAL |
2 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | HOU | at IND |
3 | Justin Tucker | BAL | at KC |
4 | Jake Elliott | PHI | GB |
5 | Tyler Bass | BUF | ARI |
6 | Jason Sanders | MIA | JAC |
7 | Evan McPherson | CIN | NE |
8 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | at CLE |
9 | Jake Moody | SF | NYJ |
10 | Younghoe Koo | ATL | PIT |
11 | Jake Bates | DET | LAR |
12 | Cairo Santos | CHI | TEN |
13 | Matt Gay | IND | HOU |
14 | Jason Myers | SEA | DEN |
15 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | LVR |
16 | Blake Grupe | NO | CAR |
17 | Greg Zuerlein | NYJ | at SF |
18 | Matt Prater | ARI | at BUF |
19 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | WAS |
20 | Daniel Carlson | LVR | at LAC |
21 | Cam Little | JAX | at MIA |
22 | Dustin Hopkins | CLE | DAL |
23 | Graham Gano | NYG | MIN |
24 | Chris Boswell | PIT | at ATL |
25 | Joshua Karty | LAR | at DET |
26 | Will Reichard | MIN | at NYG |
27 | Wil Lutz | DEN | at SEA |
28 | Brayden Narveson | GB | at PHI |
29 | Eddy Pineiro | CAR | at NO |
30 | Nick Folk | TEN | at CHI |
31 | Cade York | WAS | at TB |
32 | Joey Slye | NE | at CIN |