Streaming Kickers: Week 3 Fantasy Football Targets

Sep 19, 2017

If you’re like most fantasy football players, kicker is a position you put zero thought into, and wish wasn’t a part of the draft altogether. Some leagues have done away with the kicker position, but for those who haven’t, there are actually a few ways to get an edge over your opponents when it comes to streaming kickers weekly.

Projecting a kicker’s output isn’t as difficult or random as you may think—in fact, taking a look at Vegas odds is the best way to accurately predict a kicker’s weekly potential. By focusing in on the team implied point totals, game totals and favorites, we can get a cumulative idea of how an offense will perform when it comes to settling for field goals, distance of kicks, and the like. For a more detailed explanation on using Vegas odds for successfully streaming kickers, I suggest checking out Chris Raybon’s DFS Playbook Strategy article, which is packed with info on the most profitable way to predict the position.

Another metric useful in projecting a kicker’s output is 4for4’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed or aFPA. By removing the schedule bias, we can compare matchups in an apples-to-apples manner. By Week 4, there’s a solid sample size to work from, and the info gets more trustworthy with each data-filled week.

The goal in streaming is to roster a player who will return starting kicker fantasy points, and Week 2 did not disappoint. My highest streamer was Cody Parkey with 15 points, followed by Ryan Succop and Nick Folk with 13 each. 4for4’s optimal streaming kicker has 27 total points on the season, enough to be the top-scoring fantasy kicker so far.

In order to provide advice that you can actually implement, candidates for streaming must be available in at least 40% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Ryan Succop (TEN) vs. SEA

Tied for kicker 2 on the season, Succop has put two solid games together between the goal posts. In Week 3, the Titans get a visiting Seattle team that has struggled offensively, yet the over/under is currently 43 points. This bodes well for Tennessee’s output, as they are also projected to win the tilt by 2.5 points.

I guess your average fantasy player isn’t paying too much attention to kickers, because despite weeks with 12 and 13 fantasy points respectively, Succop’s ownership is only at 21% in Yahoo leagues.

Giorgio Tavecchio (OAK) @ WAS

Currently the top kicker in the league fantasy-wise, Tavecchio has put up an impressive 27 fantasy points through the first two weeks of the season. It doesn’t hurt that the Raiders’ powerful offense has scored 71 total points thus far, either. In Week 3, Oakland heads to Washington DC to face off against the Redskins in a matchup with a current over/under of 54 points, and 28.5 of them implied for the silver and black.

After his Week 1 performance, Tavecchio’s Yahoo ownership jumped from just 3% up to 36%. With another solid outing in Week 2, this could be the last week for the Raiders’ kicker to be considered a streamer, as people figure out his worth.

Continue reading for four more candidates, plus three deep options...