Week 13 was so fun. No bye weeks, two streamers finishing top-3, fades being fades. Week 14 poses a different challenge. Six teams are on bye this week. I would say four of the six teams on bye have kickers that are fantasy-relevant. That means potentially 33% of your league could be looking for the answer to their kicker conundrum this week. Get yours while the getting is good.
Streams
Will Reichard (or John Parker Romo) – Minnesota Vikings (4% rostered)
Will Reichard was put on IR after Week 9. Before his injury that week he had been perfect on his rookie season. John Parker Romo came in in place of the injured rookie kicker and went 11-of-12 on field goals and 7-of-8 on PATs over the last four weeks. What a nasty twist of fate for the Vikings to have two good kickers on their roster.
Reichard’s practice window was opened on Tuesday. As of writing this, the Vikings haven’t moved on from JPR yet, but I expect that to happen in the coming days.
I’ll keep repeating this until I’m blue in the face (and I think I’ve repeated that idiom too), the team is more important than the leg. Whether it’s Parker Romo or Reichard, you should be targeting the Minnesota kicker this week against Atlanta.
The Falcons have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to the kicker position this season and the Vikings are averaging 2.3 field goal attempts per game. This game is inside, the Vikings are favorites and have the 7th highest implied point total of the week.
Chase McLaughlin – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32% rostered)
I’m pretty sure I warned you last week that I’d have Chase McLaughlin on my streaming list again this week and here we are. Tampa Bay’s offense really looked like its early-season self in Week 13 and McLaughlin came through for us, even though he missed one of his field goal attempts.
In Week 14, McLaughlin gets one of the cushiest matchups there is for kickers right now. Las Vegas is allowing the most points to the kicker position. In 13 weeks, only two teams have been held to under 10 fantasy points.
The caveat with starting McLaughlin this week is he will almost undoubtedly be in my fades next week. But that’s next week you’s problem. Win now, worry later.
Nick Folk – Tennessee Titans (1% rostered)
This feels really bold and scary but doesn’t that just make it more fun? The Titans are 3-9 on the season, but Will Levis plays the kind of boneheaded football that is just fun to watch. He always lays it all on the line. Over the last five weeks, the Titans have attempted two or more field goals a game.
This week Tennessee takes on Jacksonville for a divisional matchup between the two bottom teams in the AFC South. Jacksonville has allowed double-digit fantasy points to opposing kickers in 4 of their last 5 games.
Fades
Matthew Wright – Kansas City Chiefs
I’m not going to stop bringing this up, no one can make me. The Los Angeles Chargers still haven’t allowed a double-digit fantasy performance to a kicker this season. Until they do, I’ll keep fading whoever is playing the Chargers.
Younghoe Koo – Atlanta Falcons
Younghoe Koo has been a fan favorite for several years now, but he’s having a down season. The yips, I think they call it in baseball. Minnesota has been a stout defense against kickers so I’m not jonesing to start the sub-75% hitter this weekend.
Dustin Hopkins – Cleveland Browns
I’d be remiss not to bring up that Dustin Hopkins’s accuracy percentage this week is at a nice 69.9 percent. A kicker that’s lifted fantasy teams in previous years has been a massive disappointment this season. He’s only had three top-12 fantasy performances so far this season. This week the Browns face off against the Steelers who have allowed the 3rd fewest fantasy points to kickers this season.
I’m not tempting fate on Koo or Hopkins, both guys that are struggling with accuracy and against teams that don’t allow a lot of points to the kicker position. Pass.
One last regular (fantasy) season game, six teams on bye, but we aren’t scared. We are armed with handcuff running backs, sleeper wide receivers, and dang good streaming kickers.
