Fantasy Football Wild Card Kicker Rankings: Justin Tucker, Chris Boswell, Cameron Dicker, Brandon McManus and More

Kickers are often the forgotten players in fantasy football. Defensive players get lumped into just one group per team, but fantasy owners usually spend more time looking at matchups and picking the right D/ST than they do with kickers. Even if you put in the work, kicking points are mostly about luck.

There is an art to investigating matchups, checking weather, and following numbers, but it’s impossible to know when your guy will get five field goal attempts and when he will only kick a few extra points. Luck plays a huge role.

We can do the other part, though, and prepare ourselves while hoping for the best; sometimes, you create your own luck. Let’s go through each kicker in action this week and try to determine the best plays.

Weather forecasts are from Rotowire, stats are from NFL.com, fantasy scores are from FantasyPros, and defensive fantasy rankings are our own here at FantasySP. The full kicker rankings are listed at the bottom.

Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos

Wil Lutz, Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills

Weather Forecast: 30 degrees, partly cloudy, small chance of snow

Outdoor games in winter locales are always risky propositions for kickers. There’s not a lot of wind expected, but sub-freezing conditions can make longer field goals tough. Not only does that take away from made 50-plus-yard field goals, but coaches will also give their kickers less chances from distance, lowering their fantasy score potential.

Lutz was K8 and Bass K9 this season, though they were separated by 14 points. That place in the rankings represents a break in tier of fantasy kickers. The matchups are tough for both guys: Buffalo allowed the third-least fantasy points to kickers and Denver the ninth fewest.

Both teams also were successful in limiting scoring, with the Broncos giving up the third-least points per game and the Bills the 11th least. This has the potential to be a low-scoring, defensive game, though Buffalo is always at risk of busting out on offense.

A lot seems to be pointing against both kickers this week. Cold weather combined with good defenses means you can probably find a better option.

Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

Weather Forecast: 30 degrees, foggy, no precipitation

Don’t let that “foggy” diagnosis scare you: This game is going to be cold but mostly clear. There might be a little wind but not enough to cause major issues. The cold temperature will be the worst of it.

Tucker was long thought to be the best kicker in the league (and maybe ever), but he had by far his worst season. His 22 field goals were a career low, and his 73.3 FG percentage was about 10 points lower than any other season. Only three players who attempted at least 20 kicks this year had a lower field goal percentage than Tucker.

Boswell might have had the best season among kickers, as he led the league with 41 made kicks, and his 93.5% make rate was fourth among guys with at least 20 attempts. Boswell was K2, just one point behind Brandon Aubrey of Dallas.

Baltimore gave up the 14th-most fantasy points to kickers, while Pittsburgh was 27th. The top and bottom of the fantasy points-per-game list are only separated by about four points with kickers, so we shouldn’t put too much stock in that stat, though it is something to consider.

Both Tucker and Boswell are guys to consider for your lineup. I still trust the career-long numbers for Tucker more than this season’s struggles, and Baltimore gets plenty of chances to score. Boswell’s season doesn’t lie, but I favor the Ravens’ kicker.

Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans

Weather Forecast: Game is inside a dome

Snow games are fun, but it’s also nice when playoff games take place in nice conditions, letting the true talent of the teams matter most. For kickers, there’s nothing better than playing in a dome. I mentioned above that coaches give their kickers less chances at long field goals in bad weather, and the inverse is also true: guys get more opportunities at big fantasy kicks when playing inside (or in Denver).

The other factors are against big games for these kickers, though. The Chargers allowed the fewest points this season, while Houston was a little better than average. This has a chance to be the most defensive-minded game of the weekend even considering the pristine playing conditions.

Dicker was K3 and Fairbairn K4; these guys performed all season. It’s easy to expect them to excel again in the first round. The defenses were both better than average in limiting fantasy points to kickers. For every good stat, there’s also a negative counterpoint. That leaves both guys somewhere in the middle.

I prefer Dicker because the Chargers’ defense is one of the best units in the league and could shut down C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense.

Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers

Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Weather Forecast: 38 degrees, clear, no precipitation

This one looks like it is going to be a little cold but otherwise clear skies, about the best you can ask for north of the Mason Dixon line this time of year. That leaves these guys at a small disadvantage but not too bad of a situation.

If nothing else, Elliott gets plenty of chances to score. The Eagles scored the seventh-most points per game this season, only three points behind third-place Baltimore. Elliott was only four points away from the top-10 fantasy kickers.

McManus didn’t join the Packers until Week 7 but quickly made a few game-winning kicks and secured the job. His nine fantasy points per game were 12th most among kickers with more than five appearances.

These are two of the best fantasy defenses against kickers, as the Eagles allowed the least fantasy points to the position and the Packers the fourth least. That’s a common theme in the playoffs, though, as the worst defenses are generally knocked out by this time.

With strong offenses, both kickers are worth considering, with Elliott the better option.

Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Commanders

Zane Gonzalez, Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Weather Forecast: 52 degrees, clear, no precipitation

The other three outdoor games this week are in Buffalo, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. These guys better realize how lucky they are that this one is taking place in Florida rather than D.C. Temperatures above freezing are an instant boost for the kickers.

McLaughlin was K6 on the season. When these teams played in Week 1, McLaughlin made all four of his extra points and all three of his field goals, from 29, 34, and 56 yards. Washington was better than average at limiting fantasy points to kickers.

Gonzalez only played six games this season filling in for Austin Seibert, who is on IR with a groin injury. Gonzalez made all 19 of his extra points and five of his seven field goals, with both misses coming from over 40 yards.

This might be the highest-scoring game of the weekend. The score was 37-20 when they played the first time, and ESPN gives them an over/under of 49.5, the highest of the weekend. A lot of points means a lot of kicks, and these guys are both worth consideration.

Joshua Karty, Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams

Weather Forecast: Game is inside a dome

This game was supposed to be in Los Angeles, but the fires affecting that area led to the NFL moving the Monday night contest to the stadium of the Arizona Cardinals. That is a bonus in favor of Minnesota, not that they needed more after finishing the season 13-4.

For the kickers, it’s a boon to be inside no matter where they play. Conditions won’t be an issue, allowing us to focus on the players and the matchup.

Reichard missed four games, but he averaged over 10 fantasy points per game, tying for seventh. Karty had four more fantasy points than Reichard, but Karty played all 17 games, scoring less than eight per game.

The Vikings allowed the second-least fantasy points per game to kickers; the Rams were right in the middle. It was the same story in total points allowed, as Minnesota gave up the fifth least while the Rams were again right at average. It’s clear that the Vikes have the better defense.

That gives Reichard the advantage in this one and makes him one of the best fantasy options of the week. Some will be scared away by Minnesota’s history of kicking woes in the playoffs, but that doesn’t affect 2024; Reichard is in position to possibly have a good day.

Karty is an OK option. When these teams played in Week 8, he had four extra points but didn’t attempt a field goal. (Reichard made both of his extra points and both field goal attempts, from 23 and 35 yards).

Wild Card Round Kicker Rankings

1. Will Reichard, MIN
2. Chase McLaughlin, TB
3. Jake Elliot, PHI
4. Justin Tucker, BAL
5. Chris Boswell, PIT
6. Joshua Karty, LAR
7. Brandon McManus, GB
8. Zane Gonzalez, WSH
9. Tyler Bass, BUF
10. Cameron Dicker, LAC
11. Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU
12. Wil Lutz, DEN