Updated Fantasy Kicker Rankings 2022: Best kickers to draft, sleepers to know

While often overlooked, having a reliable kicker makes for a complete fantasy football roster that has that extra juice needed to compete for a championship. Our 2022 fantasy kicker rankings are here to help you accomplish that feat.

Finding a consistent leg on a team that stalls out near the 35-yard line adds up to more fantasy points, which can be the difference between winning and losing a week. Of course, guessing which offenses will ultimately stall out more than others is just that: a guessing game.

2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Top 200 | Superflex

The key is to draft your kicker based on the teams with the most efficient offenses. Last year, Las Vegas’s Daniel Carlson led all fantasy kickers, amassing 174 total points. The Raiders were near the top third of the league in Warren Sharp’s offensive success rate (11th in NFL), showing a clear link between efficiency and kicker points when a solid kicker is involved. Carlson connected on 93 percent of his kicks (fourth in NFL).

2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Top 200 | Superflex

Additionally, five-time All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker was the most accurate kicker from 50-plus yards, connecting on all six of those attempts, highlighted by his 66-yard game-winner. Bengals rookie Evan McPherson led the league with the most 50-plus-yard kicks (9), as the first-year placekicker was a key piece in Cincinnati’s Super Bowl run.

2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team

From a draft strategy standpoint, it’s best to hold off drafting your kicker until the final round. The potential upside you might get from taking a flier on a boom-or-bust wide receiver or a running back handcuff could very well outweigh taking Tucker, McPherson, or Tyler Bass in a preceding round. It’s also always a plus to have a kicker who plays his games indoors or at high altitudes, but that's not a make-or-break criterion, especially early in the year.

2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall

Holding onto your kicker during their bye weeks isn’t necessary, as there are always capable legs on the waiver wire throughout the season. When your kicker is your last-round selection, you won’t be giving up much when you drop him. If you want to put that off as long as possible, look for kickers with late byes, like Ryan Succop (Week 11), Matt Prater (Week 13), Younghoe Koo (Week 14), Wil Lutz (Week 14), or Rodrigo Blankenship (Week 14). Those last four are especially interesting since they play in stadiums with roofs.

2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs

Ultimately, kickers do make a difference, but you shouldn't get hung up on them ahead of your draft. There are plenty of other positions and players that are far more important. Focus on them and take whoever is left at kicker in the last round. If your initial kicker doesn’t work out for you, pick up someone else. It’s that simple.

We'll be adjusting these rankings and providing further analysis from now until Week 1. Check back for updates!

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2022 Fantasy Kicker Rankings