Streaming Kickers: Week 8 Fantasy Football Targets

Oct 24, 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 7 treated me pretty well. My highest streamer was Chris Boswell with 17 points, followed by Harrison Butker with 14 and both Jake Elliott and Ryan Succop with 12. 4for4’s optimal streaming kicker has 96 total points on the season, enough for first place among all kickers in the league.

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

Stephen Hauschka (BUF) vs. Oak

Currently the sixth-highest scoring kicker in the league with 63 total fantasy points, Hauschka is a great option in Week 8’s home tilt versus the Raiders. The over/under in this contest sits at 46 points, with the Bills favored to win by three. Oakland ranks 29^th in the NFL at defending kicker points, with an aFPA of 9.6. Rostered in just 35% of Yahoo leagues, grab the Bills placekicker before someone else does.

Chandler Catanzaro (NYJ) vs. ATL

The Jets’ kicker is having a decent season so far, racking up 47 total fantasy points through the first seven games. Offensively, New York has taken steps forward with each passing week, meaning more scoring opportunities for Catanzaro. In Week 8, the Jets get a home tilt against a struggling Atlanta team, whose DST is ranked 31^st at defending the kicker position with an aFPA of 10. On the waiver wire in 93% of leagues, Catanzaro makes a nice streamer option not only for this week, but also for the following two games until the Jets' bye in Week 11.

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