Streaming Kickers: Week 4 Targets

Sep 25, 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 3 was alright. Ka’imi Fairbairn held it down with 12 points, followed by Chandler Catanzaro’s nine. 4for4’s optimal streamer has 34 points this season, good enough for the highest point total at the position.

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

Top Streaming Picks

Sam Ficken (Rams) vs. Vikings

Ficken posted just five fantasy points in his 2018 debut with the Rams, but should best that this week at home against Minnesota, a team ranked dead last in kicker aFPA thus far. The contest has an over/under of 49, with Los Angeles favored to come out on top by six and a half points. So far this season, the Rams are averaging 34 points per game and are slaying opposing defenses along the way. Pick him up now, while his ownership is only at 10 percent, as he has a few plus matchups in Weeks 5 and 6, too.

Cody Parkey (Bears) vs. Buccaneers

Apparently, no one’s noticing Parkey quietly post the fifth-most kicker points on the season, as the Chicago leg is rostered in just two percent of Yahoo leagues. He gets to stay home this week against Tampa Bay, with the contest’s over/under set at 48, and the Bears implied total a generous 25.25 of that. With Chicago often breaking down in the red zone, Parkey could provide a decent output again in Week 4.