8 Kickers to Avoid in 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts
My obligation as one of the few pro-kicker fantasy analysts in this space is to provide helpful information on who to draft, but I’m also here to assist with which kickers you should shy away from this season. I’ve already debunked the randomness of kicker points in a previous article, and using those same data points, this piece will guide you on which legs to avoid in 2024.
The Worst of the Worst
Kickers on squads with high team totals who are favored (preferably at home) are best for predicting fantasy outcomes from week to week. The following kickers are not on such teams and will struggle to put points on the board along with their respective offenses.
| Player | Team | Games Projected to Lose by 5+ Pts | Games Team Total < 20 Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy Pineiro | Panthers | 9 | 12 |
| Chad Ryland/Joey Slye | Patriots | 7 | 11 |
| Wil Lutz | Broncos | 3 | 12 |
| Graham Gano | Giants | 4 | 7 |
Based on current look ahead lines from 4for4's Betting Lines Tool
The Panthers are projected to lose every single game in 2024 and possess the second-lowest team total on the season, currently set at 332.25 via DraftKings. There are nine contests where Carolina is projected to lose by more than five points, with two of those spreads equaling a touchdown or more. Eddy Pineiro's offense is not expected to put enough points on the board in 2024 to warrant any fantasy consideration, but I do have to point out that the Panthers signed a 241-lb rookie this offseason (Harrison Mevis) to compete for the job with the incredible nickname "Thiccer Kicker". Please let him be a thing at some point in the NFL.
New England is in a very similar boat this year; in fact, they are leading the no-projected-win boat parade with zero estimated victories and the lowest team total projection in the NFL of 325.50. The Patriots have five games with a spread of over a touchdown, including one massive 11.5-point projected loss to the 49ers in Week 4, the highest of any spread in 2024. Adding points to fantasy rosters is tough when your offense isn't moving the chains.
Usually, the Broncos kicker is one to pencil in due to the altitude but this year Wil Lutz may be an avoid situation altogether. Denver isn't going to get demolished every week, as they only have three contests with projected losses of more than five points but their offense may not score enough points, considering they have the third-lowest projected team total in the NFL heading into 2024.
We have no idea what to make of the Giants as they lost their star player in Saquon Barkley, added an elite rookie WR in Malik Nabors, and are presumably trotting out Daniel Jones at QB after a rough and injury-shortened 2023. The books think they won't be great, projecting all 17 games as losses and four of those by more than five points. New York has seven team totals that fall below 20 points which isn't conducive for Graham Gano as a fantasy asset. If we get Jones from 2022, and he and Nabors gel quickly, Gano could be a streamer at some point in the season.
Related: Fantasy Kickers to Target in 2024 Drafts
Kickers for Possible Streaming, but Probably Not
| Player | Team | Games Projected to Lose by 5+ Pts | Games Team Total <20 Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | Raiders | 5 | 3 |
| Chase McLaughlin | Buccaneers | 4 | 1 |
| Nick Folk | Titans | 4 | 4 |
| Cade York | Commanders | 4 | 4 |
Based on current look ahead lines from 4for4's Betting Lines Tool.
Similar to the guys above, these four kickers are on offenses that aren’t among the best in the league. However, there is some potential for weekly streaming based on matchups and the unknown heading into 2024.
Daniel Carlson has been among the elite kickers in the past but this Raiders team is built differently, and not in a good way. While they may surprise us with either Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew at the helm, for now, Las Vegas is projected to lose five games by more than five points with three contests of team totals below 20 points. If this team can get their offense moving there could be streaming possibilities, particularly during bye weeks, or Carlson could struggle to add to fantasy rosters if the opposite occurs.
The Bucs are going into Year 2 with Baker Mayfield under center and have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. The books have them with a record of 8-9 in 2024, with four of those losses by more than five points. Chase McLaughlin could have streaming appeal but the loss of OC Dave Canales to Carolina is somewhat worrisome when it comes to their overall offensive production.
Related: Kicker Rankings and Projections
If we see an uptick in performance from Will Levis in his first season as the official starter for Tennessee, Nick Folk could have some streaming appeal in certain weeks. The Titans have only one projected win (over New England) in their 2024 schedule with four losses of more than five points, and four of those games with team totals under 20.
