I know plenty of people who have removed kickers from their fantasy football rosters, but I also know many leagues that still play with kickers. If the messages I get every Sunday morning or my home league’s almost unanimous vote to keep kickers this season is any indication, they’re still here, and there’s still an advantage to be had.
We all know the popular kid kickers — Justin Tucker, Harrison Butker, and Jake Elliott. After last season, Brandon Aubrey was invited to the cool kid table. The cool kid table is great, but what about the quiet table, the table no one is thinking of? In fantasy football, this is the sleeper table.
There are a handful of kickers I like that are going outside the top 12 in drafts according to Fantasy Pros’ average draft position (ADP). Let’s look at ‘em.
Greg Zuerlein, Jets – K13
Some of you might be saying, “Greg the Leg was only good last year because the Jets’ offense was putrid and the defense was elite,” and you know what? That’s fair. Last season, New York averaged 2.3 field goal attempts per game and attempted the fourth most field goal attempts of any team last year.
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t touched a field since his Achilles tear in Week 1 last season. He’s 40. The offensive line must take a massive step forward to keep him healthy. For these reasons, I expect Zuerlein to continue the trend from last season.
It isn’t just how many field goals Zuerlein attempted last year — he converted 92.1% of the field goals he kicked. I expect him to be a great streaming option early in the year.
Jake Bates, Lions – K17
In this day in the NFL, your kicker has to be able to hit 50+ yard field goals regularly. What was once considered astonishing is now regarded as necessary. It is justifiable to be worried about Dan Campbell’s penchant for going for it on 4th down, but we have to recognize that Campbell has never had a kicker like Jake Bates.
Detroit will be inside for a league-leading 14 games this season, and their win total is set at 10.5, worse only than Kansas City and San Francisco. They’re a high-scoring offense with a kicker who can finally boot it from over 50 yards. We saw proof of this when Bates hit two 50+ yarders in two games this pre-season.
I’m leaving drafts with Jake Bates and a grain of salt. If Dan Campbell continues to go for it in Bates’ range from 50, even when he’s up against the opponent, then Dan Campbell is a whole new animal we’ve never seen before.
Blake Grupe, Saints – K20
Blake Grupe finished as the ninth overall kicker last season, even though he only converted 81.1% of his field goals in 2023. New Orleans attempted over two field goals a game last year and heading into 2024, they’re scheduled to play 12 games indoors.
Grupe’s most significant red flag this season is that the Saints’ win total is set at only 7.5. My argument against that is that New Orleans has one of the top five easiest schedules, according to Sharp Analysis. If Grupe can take a step forward in his conversion percentage, he’ll be a steal at ADP.
Cam Little, Jaguars – K25
I love to draft a rookie kicker. It’s a little risky, but it can pack a rewarding punch. Cam Little has had a terrific preseason. Say what you will about coach speak, but the Jaguars’ special teams coach has praised the former Arkansas Razorback’s confidence.
Jacksonville attempted 2.2 field goals per game last season, their win total is set at 8.5, and they have a bye in Week 12, meaning if the draft pick (or waiver wire pick up, I see you wait-til’-the-last-second folks) works out, you won’t have to think about the position for most of the season.
Josh Karty, Rams – n/a
This guy is such a sleeper that he doesn’t have an ADP. He’s so far past sleeper he’s comatose. After doing a little digging, he might be my favorite sleeper on this list. I’m actually bummed about my lack of Josh Karty shares.
Let’s just lay it all out there. The Rams’ win total is set at 8.5. They have ten games indoors. They averaged the most field goal attempts per game last season with 2.6. They had the most field goal attempts of any team last season with 43. And they did all this while shuffling through kickers, trying to find an answer.
The Rams think they found their answer, drafting Joshua Karty out of Stanford in the sixth round of the 2024 draft. He missed one long field goal in preseason, but I’m not holding it against him, and I don’t think the Rams are either.
So, if you don’t get one of the elite kickers, these are the dudes I’m leaving drafts with. The most important thing to remember, though, is not to get got by the sunk cost fallacy of drafting a kicker. If the guy you drafted isn’t working out after a couple of weeks, do not be afraid to pivot.
