Streaming Kickers: Week 4 Fantasy Football Targets

Sep 26, 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 3 did not disappoint. My highest streamer was Ryan Succop with 15 points, followed by Greg Zuerlein with 11 and Dustin Hopkins with 9. 4for4’s optimal streaming kicker has 42 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.

Dustin Hopkins (WAS) @ KCC

With the largest over/under of the week currently set at 49.5, the Chiefs/Redskins game should be high scoring, with fantasy owners reaping the benefits on both sides. The Chiefs DST ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to kickers, with an aFPA of 7.2 points. Washington’s Hopkins should have ample scoring opportunities to best his current rank of 13 through the first three weeks of the season.

The third-year kicker is rostered in 32% of leagues, so there’s a solid chance he’s available to grab and plug into your lineup for Week 4.

Continue reading for four more kicker streaming options, and three deep league candidates...