The 2022 season presents a new challenge for fantasy football kicker rankings. We saw some interesting results last season, but judging the upcoming year based on previous results can be a dangerous move. Let’s examine our consensus fantasy kicker rankings for the 2022 season and look at which players have seen the biggest rises and falls based on their finishing position last year.
2022 fantasy football kicker rankings | 1-10
1. Justin Tucker | Baltimore Ravens
2. Tyler Bass | Buffalo Bills
3. Matt Gay | Los Angeles Rams
4. Evan McPherson | Cincinnati Bengals
5. Ryan Succop | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Harrison Butker | Kansas City Chiefs
7. Daniel Carlson | Las Vegas Raiders
8. Matt Prater | Arizona Cardinals
9. Brandon McManus | Denver Broncos
10. Robbie Gould | San Francisco 49ers
11. Rodrigo Blankenship | Indianapolis Colts
12. Jason Sanders | Miami Dolphins
13. Nick Folk | New England Patriots
14. Dustin Hopkins | Los Angeles Chargers
15. Younghoe Koo | Atlanta Falcons
16-30
16. Mason Crosby | Green Bay Packers
17. Jake Elliott | Philadelphia Eagles
18. Chris Boswell | Pittsburgh Steelers
19. Greg Zuerlein | New York Jets
20. Will Lutz | New Orleans Saints
21. Randy Bullock | Tennessee Titans
22. Cade York | Cleveland Browns
23. Graham Gano | New York Giants
24. Cairo Santos | Chicago Bears
25. Jason Myers | Seattle Seahawks
26. Jonathan Garibay | Dallas Cowboys
27. Greg Joseph | Minnesota Vikings
28. Zane Gonzalez | Carolina Panthers
29. Ka’imi Fairbairn | Houston Texans
30. Ryan Santoso | Jacksonville Jaguars
Biggest risers in our 2022 fantasy football kicker rankings
Our biggest risers in 2022 compared to their finishing positions in 2021 are Robbie Gould, Ryan Succop, and Jason Sanders. Gould suffered last year in terms of his overall fantasy points finish because of missed time. He played just 13 games, leaving him 21st overall. However, on a per-game basis, he had a 14th-placed finish. While Gould’s recent injury history is a concern, with eight missed games in the last three years, he is a borderline top-10 option at the position when he is on the field.
Succop somewhat struggled for overall points because of the potency of the Buccaneers’ offense. He ended up with just 30 field-goal attempts in 17 games compared to 59 extra-point attempts. If we transfer just five of those PAT attempts to field goals, Succop would jump inside the top 10.
Meanwhile, Sanders is one of the strangest kickers in the league. When he is hot, he is an over 90% field-goal kicker. Yet, when he struggles, he really suffers. Sanders has alternated good and bad years, and if that pattern follows, 2022 should be another 90% year for him.
Biggest fallers in our 2022 fantasy football kicker rankings
The three players to see the biggest drops in their 2022 fantasy rankings compared to their finish last year are Greg Joseph, Chris Boswell, and Nick Folk.
Joseph is an intriguing player because his career has been all over the place. His 86.8% success rate on field goals was the second-worst in the league among kickers with 35+ attempts. He has also been on three teams in three years and faces competition from Gabe Brkic in camp this year. If Joseph makes the team, he has solid upside kicking for that offense. However, he is an infuriating option who is not even guaranteed his place on the roster at this point.
Boswell’s ranking very much suffers from the uncertainty surrounding the Steelers’ QB situation. Will either Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett give the offense consistent production, or could this be a team we see punting a lot? Additionally, Boswell faces competition from Nick Sciba in camp. With Boswell carrying a non-guaranteed $3.26 million base salary in 2022, could we see him as a potential cut candidate if Sciba impresses at a cheaper price in camp?
Folk’s role on the Patriots seems reasonably safe in 2022, but the uncertainty around that offense hurts his ranking. If Mac Jones takes a step this year, could this team score more touchdowns and reduce Folk’s field-goal opportunities? Equally, if Jones and the offense struggle, could we see them having to punt more. There are plenty of question marks around Folk this year.