Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings Week 8: Who to start, best sleepers at kicker

Matt Lutovsky

Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings Week 8: Who to start, best sleepers at kicker image

We're past the midway point of the fantasy football regular season, and every matchup, every roster move, and every start 'em, sit 'em decision takes on extra importance. That includes the oft-overlooked kicker position, and our Week 8 fantasy kicker rankings can help you find the best starting option. 

The NFL is mixing things up a bit this year with a bye-free week in the middle of the year. That matters a lot more for your other roster spots, but it's still nice to not have to worry about adding or dropping a kicker at a time when injuries are piling up at other positions.  If you want to stick with your kicker or try out someone new, you have every option at your disposal.

Let's get into it and break down the best kickers ahead of Week 8.

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Which kickers are on bye in Week 8?

After a brutal six-team bye that saw a bunch of top kicking options taken off the board, there are no teams on bye in Week 8.

WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs

That means there are likely several good kickers available on your waiver wire. While we'd never recommend using a waiver claim or any FAAB dollars on a kicker, you can look to upgrade your kicker once free agency hits.

WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs

Who are the best fantasy kickers in Week 8?

Jake Elliott (@ Commanders in Week 8), Brandon Aubrey (vs. Rams), Justin Tucker (@ Cardinals), Harrison Butker (@ Broncos), Blake Grupe (@ Colts) make up our top-five kickers for Week 8. Elliott entered Week 7 tied for the most kicking fantasy points, and he's going against the team giving up the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to kickers. The other four kickers are either indoors or in the thin air of Denver, so they're all safe, high-ceiling plays.

Jake Moody (vs. Bengals), Matt Prater (vs. Ravens), Matt Gay (vs. Saints), Younghoe Koo (@ Titans), and Jason Sanders (vs. Patriots) round out the top 10. Prater and Koo are all facing teams that entered Week 7 in the top five in FPPG allowed to kickers, and two are indoors. Moody and Gay have been top-10 kickers all season and are also in above-average matchups.

WEEK 8 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em

Who are the best fantasy kicker sleepers in Week 8?

Grupe (@ Colts), Aubrey (vs. Rams), Gay (vs. Saints), and Prater (vs. Ravens) are all owned in fewer than 50 percent of fantasy leagues, so they qualify as sleepers. If you actually trust kicker matchups, you could also try Jason Sanders (vs. Patriots), Graham Gano (vs. Jets), and Cameron Dicker (vs. Bears), all of whom face teams that entered Week 7 in the top 10 in FPPG allowed. Dicker has the added advantage of playing in a stadium with a roof (though technically SoFi Stadium is open-air).

Other indoor kickers include Daniel Carlson (@ Lions), Riley Patterson (vs. Raiders), and Cairo Santos (@ Chargers). Wil Lutz (vs. Chiefs) is also a better bet for bonus points back home in Denver. He hit four field goals, including a 52-yarder, last week back at home.

WEEK 8 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks

Fantasy Kicker Rankings Week 8: Who to start, sit at kicker

Rank    Player
1    Jake Elliott, Eagles @ Commanders
2    Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys vs. Rams
3    Justin Tucker, Ravens @ Cardinals
4    Harrison Butker, Chiefs @ Broncos
5    Blake Grupe, Saints @ Colts
6    Jake Moody, 49ers vs. Bengals
7    Matt Prater, Cardinals vs. Ravens
8    Matt Gay, Colts vs. Saints
9    Younghoe Koo, Falcons @ Titans
10    Jason Sanders, Dolphins vs. Patriots
11    Nick Folk, Titans vs. Falcons
12    Dustin Hopkins, Browns @ Seahawks
13    Cameron Dicker, Chargers vs. Bears
14    Graham Gano, Giants vs. Jets
15    Tyler Bass, Bills vs. Buccaneers
16    Ka'imi Fairbairn, Texans @ Panthers
17    Daniel Carlson, Raiders @ Lions
18    Greg Zuerlein, Jets @ Giants
19    Wil Lutz, Broncos vs. Chiefs
20    Lucas Havrisik, Rams @ Cowboys
21    Chris Boswell, Steelers vs. Jaguars
22    Brandon McManus, Jaguars @ Steelers
23    Riley Patterson, Lions vs. Raiders
24    Jason Myers, Seahawks vs. Browns
25    Anders Carlson, Packers vs. Vikings
26    Evan McPherson, Bengals @ 49ers
27    Eddy Pineiro, Panthers vs. Texans
28    Greg Joseph, Vikings @ Packers
29    Chase McLaughlin, Buccaneers @ Bills
30    Chad Ryland, Patriots @ Dolphins
31    Cairo Santos, Bears @ Chargers
32    Joey Slye, Commanders vs. Eagles

Week 8 Kicker fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week

We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 8 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for kickers -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!

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Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.