As we move past the quarter point in the fantasy football regular season, it's time to take a closer look at your kicker position. Of course, by "closer look," we mean spend 20 seconds instead of 10 seconds thinking about it, but nonetheless, our Week 5 fantasy kicker rankings can help you in your journey.
First, we have to acknowledge that several preseason top-10 kickers have disappointed so far. Perhaps, more accurately, several surprises have been performing well. Heading into Week 4, seven of the top-12 fantasy kickers were owned in fewer than 31 percent of leagues (Graham Gano, Riley Patterson, Greg Zuerlein, Brett Maher, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Eddy Pineiro, Cade York), according to Fantasy Pros. Even more surprising, five were owned in fewer than six percent of leagues.
This doesn't mean they're going to be the best kickers going forward. They might have already peaked and are about to head downhill. But there's no other position where over half of the top-12 players would be unowned in that many leagues, and at a certain point, you need to question whether your kicker is getting the job done.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
Of course, we know kicker is volatile. Just because someone had seven field goals and four 50-yarders in the first three weeks (Gano) doesn't mean he's going to continue that pace. In fact, it's unlikely. Meanwhile, a disappointing kicker, such as Tyler Bass (vs. Steelers in Week 5), figures to see an uptick in attempts going forward, which is why we still rank him highly. It's tough not to favor proven kickers on great offenses, at least early in the season.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
As we adapt to what we've seen from individual kickers, we're also adapting to the emerging matchup trends. We know matchups mean less at kicker than any other position, but it's still worth looking at teams that have been allowing a high (or low) amount of fantasy points to the position. It might be totally random, but when the team allowing the most fantasy points is facing a stud like Justin Tucker (vs. Bengals), then you better believe we're going to move him up.
WEEK 5 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Overall, we're buying into Patterson (vs. Texans), York (@ Ravens), and Maher (@ Rams), as all seem to be on teams that can move the ball relatively well but can't always finish in the red zone. We're not quite as confident about Gano (vs. Packers), Zuerlein (vs. Dolphins), Fairbairn (@ Jaguars), and Pineiro (vs. 49ers) given their offenses and matchup. This week, we also like Wil Lutz (vs. Seahawks) and Jake Elliott (@ Cardinals) to break out, though that's partially just because they're kicking in stadiums with roofs. (UPDATE: Elliott is out for Week 5.) Maher (@ Rams) and Matt Gay (vs. Cowboys) will also get that luxury.
WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
Overall, this position is still mostly a crapshoot, but that's why there's no need to just stick with whoever you drafted. Byes are coming up soon anyway, so if your kicker isn't cutting it, don't be afraid to cut him.
WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
We'll be updating our kicker rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes.
Fantasy Kicker Rankings Week 5: Who to start, sit in fantasy football
Rank Player
1 Justin Tucker, Ravens vs. Bengals
2 Ryan Succop, Buccaneers vs. Falcons
3 Cade York, Browns vs. Chargers
4 Tyler Bass, Bills vs. Steelers
5 Matt Gay, Rams vs. Cowboys
6 Wil Lutz, Saints vs. Seahawks
7 Brett Maher, Cowboys @ Rams
8 Riley Patterson, Jaguars vs. Texans
9 Younghoe Koo, Falcons @ Buccaneers
10 Robbie Gould, 49ers @ Panthers
11 Daniel Carlson, Raiders @ Chiefs
12 Brandon McManus, Broncos vs. Colts
13 Evan McPherson, Bengals @ Ravens
14 Mason Crosby, Packers vs. Giants
15 Ka'imi Fairbairn, Texans @ Jaguars
16 Graham Gano, Giants vs. Packers
17 Jason Sanders, Dolphins @ Jets
18 Greg Zuerlein, Jets vs. Dolphins
19 Cairo Santos, Bears @ Vikings
20 Matthew Wright, Chiefs vs. Raiders
21 Chris Boswell, Steelers @ Bills
22 Greg Joseph, Vikings vs. Bears
23 Eddy Pineiro, Panthers vs. 49ers
24 Dustin Hopkins, Chargers @ Browns
25 Cameron Dicker, Eagles @ Cardinals
26 Michael Badgley, Lions @ Patriots
27 Jason Myers, Seahawks @ Saints
28 Nick Folk, Patriots vs. Lions
29 Randy Bullock, Titans @ Commanders
30 Joey Slye, Commanders vs. Titans
31 Matt Ammendola, Cardinals vs. Eagles
32 Chase McLaughlin, Colts @ Broncos
Week 5 kicker fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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