When should I draft a kicker in fantasy football?

The NFL preseason is a wrap and with 53-man rosters being finalized, fantasy football draft season is in full swing.

Kickers are typically one of the last positions fantasy managers will think about when constructing their respective rosters and with good reason. Skill positions like running back and wide receiver takes immense priority and most managers will wait to address their kicker vacancy last. However, extremely tight matchups are inevitable and it could be the performance of their kicker that determines whether or not they’ll walk out of that week with a win. Needless to say, don’t ignore kickers.

When should I draft a kicker?

You’d typically to draft a kicker after you’ve addressed every other need on the roster and that usually means waiting until the final round to select one. And that’s if you decide to use a draft pick on one in the first place as plenty of solid options should be available on the waiver wire. However, if you want to go ahead and lock in one of the top options for your roster to start the season, then it’d be wise to invest in one at the end of your draft.

Who are the best kickers to draft this season?

Brandon Aubrey finished 2024 as the No. 1 fantasy kicker and unsurprisingly ranks No. 1 in ADP (average draft position) heading into 2025. Aubrey got plenty of opportunities to put points on the board for the Dallas Cowboys last season, making 40 of his 47 field goal attempts and also going a perfect 30-for-30 on extra points. He produced 192 fantasy points for managers while averaging 11.3 points per game and as mentioned earlier, those numbers are critical in a tight fantasy matchup. With a healthy Dak Prescott leading the offense again, he should have plenty of opportunities to put points on the board once again.

To no surprise, the best fantasy kickers are typically tied to offenses that can successfully move the ball down the field and out them in a position to score. That makes boots like Jake Bates (Detroit Lions), Chase McLaughlin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and Tyler Loop (Baltimore Ravens) ones to target as they’re backed up by offenses that finished last season that were top-five units in both EPA per play and success rate.

Who is a sleeper pick at kicker?

Daniel Carlson has finished as a top-five kicker three different times in his career and managed to produce 145 fantasy points in 2024 despite the deficiencies of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense. The offense should improve with the the likes of Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty, and Brock Bowers leading the charge, potentially giving the veteran placekicker more chances to put points on the board. With an ADP at No. 19, you could potentially pick him up off the street as a free agent and he’ll put up good numbers for you throughout the year.