Kicker Tiers, Targets, and Players to Avoid

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Whether you're a fan or not, kickers typically comprise around 10 percent of your starting lineup in most fantasy football leagues. Their impact could be significant almost every week. You can start the season with an advantage if you select the right kicker at the right price.

RELATED: See Team Defense Tiers here >>>

To help you with this, below is a tiered draft strategy based on Footballguys' Consensus Rankings for all 32 starting kickers in the NFL.

Pro Tip

I've mentioned this point in previous articles, but the message is the same every season: If your league rules permit it, don't draft a kicker. Last year, the top kicker scored just two more fantasy points per game than the 15th-ranked kicker. The second-best kicker averaged the same points per game as the 15th-best. There is not enough variation to justify using a pick on them.

Instead, load up on running backs and wide receivers and wait out injuries until Week 1. Then, grab the best kicker off of waivers by dropping or trading assets you no longer need.

PS: You should do the same with Team Defense.

Tier 1: Kickers to Target

When selecting your Week 1 starting kicker, prioritize these things in the following order:

1. Job Security
2. A good offense
3. Home-field dome or good weather
4. Late bye week

If you must draft a kicker, only consider one with your final pick. None of the players on this list, even those in Tier 1, justify spending an earlier pick in a standard fantasy league. Remember, there is just too small of a point variance. With that said, here are the five best kickers for 2024.

Justin Tucker, Baltimore: Talk about consistency. Tucker was the number one kicker in fantasy in 2022 and has been in the Top 10 every season of his career. Throw in a Week 14 bye, and you have the best kicker in fantasy football.

Brandon Aubrey, Dallas: Aubrey came onto the scene with a bang last year, finishing as the best kicker in fantasy for 2023. With rumors he might be able to connect from 70 yards out, he is probably better than Tucker in leagues that reward distance. The Cowboys Week 7 bye is less than ideal but not terrible.

Younghoe Koo, Atlanta: Koo was one of the best at field goals last season, but the low touchdown numbers from the Falcons kept him down in the rankings. With a much-improved offense and the majority of his games in domes, that should change in 2024. It also helps that the Falcons have a Week 12 bye.

Matt Gay, Indianapolis: Gay was the third-best kicker in fantasy last season and should see similar numbers in 2024. Like Koo, most of his games are indoors, and the Colts have a Week 14 bye.

Harrison Butker, Kansas City: If you're okay with some offseason controversy, Butker is tied to one of the best offenses in fantasy. The Chiefs' Week 6 bye moves him down this tier a bit.

Tier 2: Your Fantasy Starters

This will be an extensive tier, which is precisely why you can wait to draft your kicker.

Jake Moody, San Francisco: Like Butker, Moody gets you a piece of one of the best offenses in the league. A shaky rookie season and a Week 9 bye keep him out of the top tier.

Tyler Bass, Buffalo: Bass is the opposite of Younghoe Koo. His field goal numbers were down, but he did great with extra points. We could see some regression from the Bills in 2024, which would benefit Bass in the field goal department. The weather in Buffalo takes him down a tier.

Jason Sanders, Miami: Another kicker tied to a great fantasy offense. The Week 6 bye for Miami keeps him in Tier 2.

Jake Elliott, Philadelphia: I'm sorry to repeat myself, but you want kickers tied to good offenses. If not for a Week 5 bye, Elliott could crack Tier 1 after a great 2023.

Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston: Fairbairn missed five games last season but was a top-10 kicker when looking at points per game. Considering his Week 14 bye, he might be the best sleeper in this tier.

Cameron Dicker, LA Chargers: Dicker the Kicker finished in the Top 10 last season, and the Chargers' new offense should lead to more field goals and extra points over his 2023 numbers. The Chargers are off in Week 5, hurting Dicker's upside.

Evan McPherson, Cincinnati: While McPherson has never recaptured the magic of his rookie season, he is still serviceable for fantasy and a part of a great offense.

Cairo Santos, Chicago: Believe it or not, Santos was the second-best kicker in fantasy last season. The Bears' offense should improve, benefiting Santos in field goals and extra points.

Jason Myers, Seattle: Myers isn't particularly exciting, but he has been a top-10 option in each of the last two seasons.

Blake Grupe, New Orleans: Similar to Myers, Grupe offers little to get excited about, but he finished in the Top 10 as a rookie, and we should see similar output from the Saints in 2024.

Greg Zuerlein, NY Jets: Zuerlein suffered because the Jets did not score touchdowns in 2023. The return of Aaron Rodgers should fix that issue.

Tier 3: Best of the Rest

We've already named 16 kickers, meaning you likely won't need any of these guys. They all have a red flag or two, usually a bad bye week or an untrustworthy offense, but they could be suitable for a few weeks. This tier is also where you'll find the best streaming candidates, as they should all be on waivers in most leagues. Streaming, in the simplest terms, is when you switch out your kicker each week for a new one with the best possible matchup.

• Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh
• Dustin Hopkins, Cleveland
• Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas
• Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay
• Wil Lutz. Denver
• Matt Prater. Arizona

Tier 4: Kickers to Avoid

Above, you'll find 22 kickers. There is no reason to go further, but here are the other ten starters. Most of these guys just won camp battles, so they are on shaky ground to start the 2024 season. After we see what they can do, they could be streaming options later in the season.

• Brayden Narveson, Green Bay
• Eddy Piñeiro, Carolina
• Nick Folk, Tennessee
• Jake Bates, Detroit
• Joshua Karty, LA Rams
• Cam Little, Jacksonville
• Joey Slye, New England
• Graham Gano, NY Giants
• Will Reichard, Minnesota
• Cade York, Washington

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