Calling any kicker a “most” draft player is a bit misleading, but there are a handful that offer weekly upside that can make a difference in close fantasy football matchups. It’s among the toughest things to project in this game, so be comfortable being uncomfortable, but you’re here for an edge, and I’ll try my best to offer that.
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Top Ks To Draft in Fantasy Football in 2023
Over the past decade, kickers are responsible for 15.6% of their teams’ total points. Of course, some are better than others, and some offenses are more likely to try long field goals than others. But by and large, I use implied point total as a guide.
I’d encourage you to do the same as the season progresses … no matter who you draft preseason, the odds of you tweaking it at some point is high. You’ll need something to base those decisions on!
Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings
Greg Joseph is 28 of 29 in two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings on indoor field-goal attempts under 50 yards, a level of accuracy that gives him a reasonable floor. The scoring nature of this offense certainly doesn’t hurt, nor do consecutive home games when most leagues are being decided (Week 16 vs. Detroit, Week 17 vs. Green Bay).
I love me some indoor kickers, especially when the majority of the player’s road games come against explosive offenses that will require Minnesota to score (Philadelphia and Cincinnati) or in friendly kicking environments (Carolina, Atlanta, and Denver).
Brandon McManus, Jacksonville Jaguars
The former Denver Broncos kicker leaves altitude for the first time in his career, but Brandon McManus joins an offense that I am bullish on. I also don’t think the thin air was the secret sauce behind B-Mac’s ability.
Maybe there are fewer bombs now that he’s away from Denver, but the man has made 29 straight field goals from 40-49 yards. Coming out of the Week 9 bye, the Jacksonville Jaguars have only one potential weather situation in Weeks 10-17. I want all of the Jacksonville exposure I can get, and that includes their kicking game.
Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers
Two-time Bakkan-Andersen Kicker of the Year winner Jake Moody out of Michigan was selected in the third round this past April by a strong San Francisco 49ers team. He should hold fantasy value from the get-go.
In college, kicks just looked different coming off his foot, and the early season schedule should help his case.
Which teams are favored by the most to start the season?
I compiled the Week 1-6 lookahead lines to give us a market-based view of which teams/offenses should start fast.
Thread with fantasy takeaways: pic.twitter.com/FomdKnhZdr
— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) August 14, 2023
What do you have to lose? In times of uncertainty, I target the unknown … a rookie kicker in a strong offense is a nice blend of risk/reward. So why not roll the dice in the final round?