Finding reliable kickers can make or break your fantasy football week, especially when you’re streaming the position. The waiver wire often holds hidden gems that can provide consistent scoring while flying under the radar. This week presents some intriguing options that could give you a significant edge over opponents who haven’t done their homework.
Week 5 Kicker Rankings
1) Brandon Aubrey | Dallas Cowboys (at NYJ)
2) Spencer Shrader | Indianapolis Colts (vs. LV)
3) Jake Bates | Detroit Lions (at CIN)
4) Harrison Butker | Kansas City Chiefs (at JAX)
5) Cameron Dicker | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. WAS)
6) Matt Prater | Buffalo Bills (vs. NE)
7) Tyler Loop | Baltimore Ravens (vs. HOU)
8) Joshua Karty | Los Angeles Rams (vs. SF)
9) Chase McLaughlin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at SEA)
10) Jake Elliott | Philadelphia Eagles (vs. DEN)
11) Jason Myers | Seattle Seahawks (vs. TB)
12) Wil Lutz | Denver Broncos (at PHI)
13) Cam Little | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. KC)
14) Ka’imi Fairbairn | Houston Texans (at BAL)
15) Chad Ryland | Arizona Cardinals (vs. TEN)
16) Eddy Piniero | San Francisco 49ers (at LAR)
17) Nick Folk | New York Jets (vs. DAL)
18) Matt Gay | Washington Commanders (at LAC)
19) Daniel Carlson | Las Vegas Raiders (at IND)
20) Blake Grupe | New Orleans Saints (vs. NYG)
21) Joey Slye | Tennessee Titans (at ARI)
22) Will Reichard | Minnesota Vikings (vs. CLE (London))
23) Evan McPherson | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. DET)
24) Andy Borregales | New England Patriots (at BUF)
25) Riley Patterson | Miami Dolphins (at CAR)
Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts
Guys like Spencer Shrader are exactly why fantasy managers should never spend premium picks on kickers. Did we even know who Shrader was in August?
The Colts’ kicker bounced around three teams in 2024, one of which was the Colts. This year, he won their job entirely, and he’s been one of the best kickers in the league.
Shrader leads the league with 14 field goal attempts and 13 makes through the first month of the season. He’s made all 12 of his extra points.
The Colts are the perfect team to have a kicker from. They are good enough offensively to consistently move the ball, but not such a juggernaut that they’re always finishing drives with touchdowns. That’s how Shrader ends up with multiple field goal attempts in every game this season.
This week, the Colts should score plenty of points against the Raiders. They are home, playing in a dome, and favored to win. The Raiders are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to kickers. Shrader is an easy top-five option this week.
Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles
One of the main sources of frustration with kickers is that actual kicking talent isn’t really that important. Jake Elliott is an excellent kicker on one of the league’s best offenses. Somehow, that’s a bad thing.
Elliott has only attempted four field goals on the season, mostly because the Eagles are very aggressive on fourth down and keep scoring touchdowns. This week is an ideal spot for their offense to stumble a bit.
The Broncos are not going to completely stymie Jalen Hurts and friends, but they can slow them down enough to force field goals. The Eagles are home favorites and Denver is allowing the fifth most fantasy points per game to kickers (pre-MNF). Elliott may actually attempt 2-3 field goals this week, making him a great option for fantasy managers.
