Finding the right kicker can make or break your fantasy football week, yet it’s often the position most managers overlook until Sunday morning. Week 7 presents some compelling matchup advantages that could separate the winners from the losers in your league.
Certain defenses have consistently struggled against opposing kickers, creating predictable scoring opportunities for savvy fantasy managers. The key is identifying which kickers are positioned to capitalize on these favorable game scripts and defensive weaknesses.
Andre Szmyt, Cleveland Browns (vs. MIA)
As previously mentioned, the Dolphins’ defense is one of the worst in football right now, and the Browns should be able to put up some points this Sunday. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is a must-start, and kicker Andre Szmyt should also be a safe bet.
Szmyt was the ninth-best kicker in fantasy in Week 6, scoring all nine of Cleveland’s points against the Steelers, including a 53-yard kick. The first-year starter has made nine of his 11 field-goal tries this season and hasn’t missed from inside 50 yards since Week 1.
The last three kickers to face Miami have all finished as a top-eight kicker in fantasy that week, while Spencer Shrader was the K1 against the Dolphins in Week 1. That’s four out of six kickers recording top-eight finishes against Miami, and I’m confident of Szmyt making it five out of seven this weekend.
Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers (vs. ATL)
Eddy Pineiro made this list last week and returned 18 points, leading all kickers in fantasy. That makes it two straight top-two fantasy weeks for the San Francisco 49ers kicker, and there’s no reason to doubt him this weekend either.
The 49ers’ offense continues to struggle with injuries, with question marks surrounding Brock Purdy and four of his preferred pass-catching options. The 49ers have a 49.2% red zone conversion rate, scoring a touchdown on just nine of their 21 red-zone trips this season.
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That’s the fifth-lowest conversion rate in the NFL, and their continued health struggles increase the chance of another big game for Pineiro. Kickers are as volatile as any position in fantasy, but Pineiro is the obvious bet for Week 6.
Ryan Fitzgerald, Carolina Panthers (at NYJ)
Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald enters Week 7 on the back of two straight top-eight finishes in fantasy. The Panthers are a team in form, having won back-to-back games, and now face a floundering Jets defense.
The six kickers to have faced the Jets this season have averaged 12.5 fantasy points in those games. That would have returned a seventh-placed finish each week, on average, and it would be no surprise to see that trend continue this week.
If you had played whichever kicker was facing the Jets each week, you would have gotten 75 fantasy points so far this year. That’s 10 points more than Brandon Aubrey, the leading kicker in fantasy this season.
Things aren’t that simple in fantasy, but only one kicker has finished outside the top-13 in fantasy when facing New York this season.
