Last week, we commented on the surprising amount of kicker injuries this year, and while most of the banged-up booters returned last week, it still didn't make it any easier to put together our Week 7 fantasy kicker rankings.
Further complicating matters is that the Bills, Eagles, Rams, and Vikings are on bye this week. That takes Tyler Bass and Matt Gay -- both over 90-percent owned in fantasy leagues, according to Fantasy Pros -- off the table and forces at least a couple of owners in your league to hit the free-agent wire in search of a new leg man. Notice we said "free agent" and not "waiver" wire. Never use a waiver claim on a kicker, and never carry two kickers on your roster unless it's the fantasy playoffs. Drop Bass and Gay and see if they're available in Week 8. If not, move on.
This week, we have some nice indoor matchups for a few top kickers, including Daniel Carlson (vs. Texans in Week 7), Ka'imi Fairbairn (@ Raiders), and Brett Maher (vs. Lions). Wil Lutz (@ Cardinals) also has a decent indoors matchup, so he looks safe, and if you're a Gay or Bass owner looking for a fill-in, Michael Badgley (@ Cowboys) and Jason Myers (@ Chargers) have nice matchups in stadiums with a roof, but we always have to note that L.A.'s stadium is technically open-air.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
We also like that two big-legged kickers, Brandon McManus and Greg Zuerlein, square off in the thin air of Denver. Expect a couple of 50-yard bombs in that game. Heading into Week 6, Carlson, Maher, Graham Gano, Justin Tucker, and Chris Boswell were tied for the league lead with four 50-plus-yard FGs. Gano (@ Jaguars) and Boswell (@ Dolphins) both have bottom-10 matchups this week, so we're a little leerier of them than usual, but as we always say, matchups only mean so much at kicker, so it's not as if they're completely off limits.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
Overall, we're still on the hunt for big-legged kickers on decent offenses facing mediocre-to-bad defenses. That will forever be the goal at kicker. It doesn't always work out every week, but over the course of the year, the numbers start to tell us something.
WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
There are always plenty of capable kicker candidates to put in your lineup. When in doubt, play it safe with an indoor kicker, as the weather will soon start becoming more of a factor.
WEEK 7 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
We'll be updating our kicker rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes.
WEEK 7 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Fantasy Kicker Rankings Week 7: Who to start, sit in fantasy football
Rank Player
1 Daniel Carlson, Raiders vs. Texans
2 Younghoe Koo, Falcons @ Bengals
3 Ryan Succop, Buccaneers @ Panthers
4 Justin Tucker, Ravens vs. Browns
5 Evan McPherson, Bengals vs. Falcons
6 Riley Patterson, Jaguars vs. Giants
7 Ka'imi Fairbairn, Texans @ Raiders
8 Brett Maher, Cowboys vs. Lions
9 Brandon McManus, Broncos vs. Jets
10 Greg Zuerlein, Jets @ Broncos
11 Chris Boswell, Steelers @ Dolphins
12 Wil Lutz, Saints @ Cardinals
13 Cade York, Browns @ Ravens
14 Mason Crosby, Packers @ Commanders
15 Graham Gano, Giants vs. Jaguars
16 Harrison Butker, Chiefs @ 49ers
17 Cairo Santos, Bears @ Patriots
18 Jason Myers, Seahawks @ Chargers
19 Michael Badgley, Lions @ Cowboys
20 Rodrigo Blankenship, Cardinals vs. Saints
21 Robbie Gould, 49ers vs. Chiefs
22 Jason Sanders, Dolphins vs. Steelers
23 Joey Slye, Commanders vs. Packers
24 Nick Folk, Patriots vs. Bears
25 Taylor Bertolet, Chargers vs. Seahawks
26 Chase McLaughlin, Colts @ Titans
27 Randy Bullock, Titans vs. Colts
28 Eddy Pineiro, Panthers vs. Buccaneers
Week 7 kicker fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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