Many fantasy football leagues have abolished kicker in recent seasons as the position is too unpredictable to include in weekly fantasy leagues.
Those leagues may reconsider their decision after the starting kicker enjoys it during the 2024 NFL season.
NFL kickers are becoming more accurate than ever. A 50-yard field goal was once considered a 50-50 proposition even for the NFL’s best specialists. Most kickers now make more kicks from distance than miss.
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That makes Kicker an explosive but unstable piece in any quality fantasy lineup. And while a bad week for a kicker will frustrate fantasy football managers, weeks when a kicker scores in double digits or approaches the fabled 20-point mark can pull owners away from weeks with poor scoring from skill position players. There are times when I go.
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The NFL’s kicker hierarchy is starting to change a bit, as Brandon Aubrey could surpass Justin Tucker as the best player in the league. Harrison Butker is also a strong candidate, so it’s worth relying on them most weeks.
But what do you do when your kicker has a bye week? Here’s a reliable breakdown of the best kickers for fantasy football for Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season, including the top streamers to consider and avoid.
Fantasy Football Starters: Week 5 Kickers
Austin Seibert, Washington Commander
The manager’s decision to sign Seibert was a great one after Cade York struggled in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. In the three games since taking over kicking duties, Seibert has made all 10 of his field goal attempts and made all nine of his extra points as part of the team’s explosive Jaden Daniels-led offense.
In the first four weeks of the season, Daniels led more scoring drives (23) than incompletions (19), so Seibert thinks he’ll get more chances to keep kicking. The only question is whether he can make it from beyond 50 yards. He has yet to attempt a field goal from that distance, making just 2-of-6 from there in his career.
Still, Seibert deserves credit, having completed at least 40 yard attempts in each of his first three starts. The Cleveland Browns allow 2.5 field goal attempts per game, so if Seibert continues to be accurate, he should have a chance to score double-digit fantasy points again.
Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
Tucker appeared to fix the issues that were causing him dizziness during the Ravens’ 35-10 blowout win over the Buffalo Bills. He didn’t attempt a field goal in the game, but made all five of his extra points while dealing with mechanical issues that plagued him earlier in the season.
The Ravens will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5. Cincinnati is allowing 26 points per game, tied for fifth in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, and will have a hard time containing Baltimore’s explosive run game. That should give Tucker more points and a chance to make a field goal or two.
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Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears
Santos is one of the top streaming kickers and is a Week 5 bye week replacement. His Bears are playing against the Carolina Panthers, allowing a league-high 32.3 points per game and 2.3 field goals per game. Chicago’s offense moved the ball more consistently than it has in past weeks against the Los Angeles Rams, and the unit was able to set up Santos for several field goals.
Santos is also quite accurate from 50 yards and beyond, making 4 of 5 kicks from that distance this season. Combined with his career success rate of 85.7 percent overall, he would be a safe and productive option for any fantasy lineup.
Fantasy Football Sit ’em: Week 5 Kickers
Greg Zierlein, New York Jets
In Week 4, the Jets’ Zuerlein attempted four field goals against a strong Denver Broncos defense, so he did the same from New York’s kicker against the Minnesota Vikings, another great defensive team. Some people may expect this result.
In fact, the Vikings are one of the stingiest teams in the NFL against kickers. Through four weeks, they allowed only six field goal attempts, and only converted three of them. Minnesota’s strength is that while allowing a lot of passing yards, they tend to make opportunistic stops with a league-leading eight interceptions.
Taking away those potential opportunities places the onus on the tour line to seize a very slim chance in the unfamiliar surroundings of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And even if the Tour line gets more chances than expected, the Vikings have allowed just one field goal from 50 yards or more all season.
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Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
Typically, kickers who play against the Broncos on the road get a boost because the ball travels farther in the high-altitude environment. But the Broncos are allowing just 13.8 points per game, the third-fewest in the NFL through four weeks, so it may be difficult for Gardner Minshew and co to get plenty of field goal opportunities.
It also doesn’t help that Karlsson is only 3-of-5 on kicks from 40 yards or more this season. His ability is high, but if he makes another mistake from long range, he’s likely to be a disappointing player for fantasy football managers.
Dustin Hopkins, Cleveland Browns
The Washington Commanders are allowing 25.5 points per game, the eighth-most in the NFL, so Hopkins may seem like an attractive streaming option.
That said, Dan Quinn’s stopping unit has improved and is just starting to hold an explosive Arizona Cardinals offense to just 14 points. Matt Prater did not attempt a field goal in that game, but that will likely be a trend for kickers against the Commanders. why? That’s because they need touchdowns to keep up with Washington’s offense, one of the most efficient units in the NFL.