Bye week season doesn’t exactly sting at the kicker position the way it does at others, but it does create some interesting opportunities in fantasy football. Few managers will hang onto two kickers, so bye weeks mean there are some good options available on the waiver wire who might not usually be there. With all 32 teams in action this week, there are also plenty of great matchups to choose from (yes, there is such a thing as a “great matchup” for a kicker).
Here are the three best streaming kicker options available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN fantasy football leagues for Week 15.
1. Matthew Wright, Kansas City Chiefs (@ CLE) — 76.9% Available
Harrison Butker scored double-digit fantasy points in five of his nine games as the Chiefs’ starting kicker this season. Spencer Shrader then did it in one of his two starts. And now Matthew Wright has done it in both of his starts. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker role is still incredibly valuable in fantasy football despite their offense being a little less explosive than we expected this year. If the position hadn’t been jumbled by injury, there’s no way we would be talking about their starter as a streaming option in the fantasy football playoffs.
Even against a stout Cleveland Browns defense, I’m not at all worried about the prospects of a kicker attached to an offense that leads the NFL in plays per drive (7.0) and has scored points on the fourth-highest percentage of its drives (47.2%). Wright has attempted a combined 11 field goals and extra points across his two starts. While we may not get so lucky as to have 82% of his kicks be field goals moving forward, that volume should continue to give him both an elite floor and ceiling.
2. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons (@ LV) — 57.7% Available
Younghoe Koo isn’t the elite fantasy option at kicker that people thought he would be early in the season, and a few weeks of real-world struggles soured fantasy managers on his outlook. But he’s bounced back by making 6 of 7 field goal attempts and both his extra-point attempts over his last three games, and now he’s got a dreamy matchup. The Atlanta Falcons offense has stagnated, but the Las Vegas Raiders promise to be a cure for that. The Raiders are PFF’s second-worst-graded defense. As a team, they allow the NFL’s most favorable starting field position to opponents, who are scoring on 46.1% of their drives (the fifth-highest rate in the league).
FanDuel Sportsbook has Atlanta as a 4.5-point favorite in a game with a 44.5-point over/under. While they’re not projected to blow the Raiders out, it’s clear the betting markets have little doubt about this being the perfect get-right spot for Atlanta. Koo’s ability to capitalize on this opportunity could be the key to securing those valuable fantasy points.
3. Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers (vs LAR) — 64.7% Available
Speaking of kickers who need a get-right spot, Jake Moody still hasn’t had a double-digit fantasy point performance since returning from injury in Week 10. I wouldn’t start him if Wright or Koo are available, but if they’re not, then he’s still a nice high-upside option with your season on the line. Looking at his individual games since returning removes a lot of the concern you might have looking at his overall numbers. He seemed rusty or still impacted by the injury in his first game, but getting six field goal and two extra point attempts is an incredible opportunity for a fantasy kicker.
Then the 49ers drew three tough matchups in a row, facing teams that have allowed opponent scoring rates that rank 21st, 23rd, and 27th. Last week, it was bad field goal-to-extra point variance, kicking six times but with only one of them being a field goal. So now we get Moody back in a good matchup, taking on a Rams team that allows opponents to score on 47.0% of their drives (second only to the Carolina Panthers). That has accordingly allowed top-10 fantasy numbers to opposing kickers on the year. Four of the last five kickers they’ve faced have put up double-digit points.
Oddsmakers are projecting a high-scoring Thursday Night Football (48.5-point over/under in a game with a 2.5-point spread), and Moody is going to remind people why he was one of the leading scorers at the position early in the season.
As we dive into Week 15, remember that kickers can often be overlooked, but they can make or break a fantasy matchup. With the right streaming options, you can turn a bye week into a winning week. So, whether you’re rolling with Wright, Koo, or Moody, choose wisely, and may your fantasy dreams come true!
