One of the toughest positions to judge each year is the kicker for fantasy football managers because it can be easier to get sucked into the excitement surrounding the elite options.
There are some clear stars when it comes to the kickers, but the ADP reflects the demand that surrounds those players.
That can mean it becomes a little bit of a scramble if managers feel like they have to secure one of the top three to five kickers. That can often be a mistake because the draft capital spent does not correlate with the output in terms of fantasy points compared to the rest of the position.
The rankings below are a consensus of our fantasy analysts, and they shape the redraft values in our fantasy football trade analyzer.
Consensus Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
1) Justin Tucker | Baltimore Ravens
2) Brandon Aubrey | Dallas Cowboys
3) Harrison Butker | Kansas City Chiefs
4) Jason Sanders | Miami Dolphins
5) Ka’imi Fairbairn | Houston Texans
6) Younghoe Koo | Atlanta Falcons
7) Jake Elliott | Philadelphia Eagles
8) Evan McPherson | Cincinnati Bengals
9) Tyler Bass | Buffalo Bills
10) Jake Moody | San Francisco 49ers
11) Dustin Hopkins | Cleveland Browns
12) Cameron Dicker | Los Angeles Chargers
13) Matt Gay | Indianapolis Colts
14) Jason Myers | Seattle Seahawks
15) Cairo Santos | Chicago Bears
16) Daniel Carlson | Las Vegas Raiders
17) Blake Grupe | New Orleans Saints
18) Greg Zuerlein | New York Jets
19) Wil Lutz | Denver Broncos
20) Chase McLaughlin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21) Chris Boswell | Pittsburgh Steelers
22) Eddy Pineiro | Carolina Panthers
23) Graham Gano | New York Giants
24) Matt Prater | Arizona Cardinals
25) Anders Carlson | Green Bay Packers
26) Cade York | Washington Commanders
Which Kickers Should You Draft for Fantasy Football?
There is no doubt that drafting the likes of Justin Tucker, Brandon Aubrey, or Harrison Butker are kickers that fantasy managers should target.
However, you generally have to draft them around the 12th or 13th round of a 12-team league, which is a steep price to pay. If you could get them in the 15th or 16th round, they are great players to draft, but you have to be careful not to overpay.
The problem is that the position can be pretty flat at times. Last year, Aubrey led the position with 177 points, and he was clearly the No. 1 kicker — by 27 points.
However, the gap between the second-best player at the position and the depth player was just 10 points. That is an average of less than a point per game, making a negligible difference.
Even when you go down to the top 15, there is a gap of 20 points between second and 15th for an average of just over a point per game difference.
Therefore, you are better off waiting and getting the second tier of kickers, such as Jake Elliott, Ka’imi Fairbairn, and Younghoe Koo, or taking a shot as someone like Jason Sanders.