Streaming Kickers: Week 2 Targets

Sep 11, 2018

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, we can get a cumulative idea of how that 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 4for4’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 1 was a mixed bag. My star was Adam Vinatieri, who finished tied for first in the league with 13 fantasy points, followed by decent performances from Jason Sanders and Josh Lambo. The average for all six of my recommendations was 6.8, which translates to the 15^th best kicker on the week.

In order to provide advice that you can actually implement, candidates for streaming must be owned in no more than 40% of Yahoo fantasy leagues. As always, check 4for4’s rankings when making weekly decisions on any position.

Top Streaming Picks

Brandon McManus (Broncos) vs. Raiders

Denver’s kicker was the highest scorer of Week 1 and gets another home game at altitude versus Oakland in Week 2. The Broncos are favored to win by six points, with a decent over/under currently set at 45. The Raiders were ranked 30^th in kicker aFPA last season and allowed Greg Zuerlein to drop 17 points on them Monday night. McManus is on the waiver wire in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues so grab him while you can.

Dustin Hopkins (Redskins) vs. Colts

Hopkins nailed his one field goal attempt along with three extra points in Week 1 and should be busy again on Sunday against an Indy squad that gave up 34 points in their first tilt. The over/under is currently set at 46, with Washington favored by five and a half points. At just a 2 percent ownership on Yahoo, Hopkins is there for streaming, and as a bonus, he gets another favorable matchup versus the Packers in Week 3.

Continue reading Jen's Top Streaming Picks, a couple Deep League Targets and a Kicker to Bench...