The incredible year for kickers in fantasy football continues. After a massive game from Chris Boswell on Monday night, there are now five players at the position averaging at least 12.0 points per game, with nine averaging at least 10.0.
If you're not consistently getting double-digit points from your kicker, you need to take the position more seriously.
My favorite thing about the position, though, is how much most managers ignore it. That leaves a big edge if you're willing to do the work. Or if you're willing to let me do the work for you.
Here are the top three streaming kickers for fantasy football this week, all of whom are available in at least 50% of ESPN public leagues.
Fantasy Football Streaming Kickers Week 9
1. Blake Grupe, New Orleans Saints (91.6% Available)
Remember in Week 1 when Blake Grupe erupted for 22 fantasy points? He's cooled down since then, but considering Derek Carr should be back (significantly improving the Saints' ability to get into scoring range) and he has that same matchup against the Carolina Panthers, there's a lot to like.
The Panthers' ineptitude makes them a terrific matchup for fantasy kickers, just like they offer at basically every other position too. They're allowed over 11 fantasy points per game, and the way they're doing it is especially interesting. They've given up the fewest 50-plus yard FGs among the five teams giving up more than 10.5 per game to the position. That means opponents' scoring has come on much more consistent volume, not relying on the more high-variance long kicks.
It's easy to see why, too. Panthers opponents' drives have the best average starting field position in the NFL, at the 34.9 yard line. They then give up 6.0 yards per play (tied for second-most in the NFL), leading to the most first downs against in the NFL. Opponents score on an absurd 52.8% of their drives against the Panthers.
Grupe's a long-shot to go for 20-plus again, but double-digit points should be easy to come by.
2. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills (82.4% Available)
It's not often you get a kicker attached to an offense as good as the Buffalo Bills' available in over 80% of leagues. It's even less likely you see that when he has a good matchup.
The Miami Dolphins are allowing the fourth-best field position for opposing drives, though to their credit are only allowing scores on 36.2% of those drives (right around the NFL average of 38.3%). That has been helped by some very soft matchups though, getting to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriot,s and Indianapolis Colts. And even still, we see them allowing the seventh most fantasy points per game to kickers.
The Bills' offense gets the NFL's fourth-best average starting field position, and they're fifth with a 47.0% scoring rate on all drives. Bass' upside could be a little limited if the Bills end up with a touchdown-heavy scoring distribution, but either way, he's got a pretty solid floor here.
3. Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears (81.0% Available)
This one's all about the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Cairo Santos' combined 18 fantasy points over his last four games aren't going to move the needle for fantasy managers. But the Cards' 51 fantasy points allowed to the position over their last four certainly will.
This is another spot where the underlying metrics support the quality of this matchup. The Cardinals join the Panthers as the only other team allowing opponents to score on at least 50% of their drives (50.7%) while also allowing 6.0 yards per play.
Caleb Williams and the Bears offense does seem to be hitting their stride too, with their three highest single-game marks for yards per play all coming within the last three weeks. During that time they've averaged 5.8 per game, which would rank top-10 in the NFL for the whole season.
Some of that has been thanks to drawing easy matchups, but that doesn't change in Week 9 against Arizona.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 3 Fantasy Football Streaming Kickers to Target in Week 9.
