With four more teams on bye in Week 11, fantasy football managers will need to consider potential kicker replacements. Below we take a look at a trio of kickers who would be strong streaming options in Week 11.
Wil Lutz
Denver Broncos (vs. ATL)
The final play of Week 10 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs notwithstanding, Wil Lutz has generally been reliable this season. The veteran is 18-for-21 (86%) on field goals, and the block at the end of the Chiefs game is his only miss from under 50 yards. In Week 11, he’ll play at home against an Atlanta Falcons team allowing the most fantasy points per game to kickers this season.
The Falcons have allowed a field goal on 24% of opponent drives, the highest rate in the NFL. Denver’s offense has shown more signs of life in recent weeks but still ranks only 21st in red-zone efficiency on the season.
Lutz is only rostered in 12% of ESPN leagues and 9% of Yahoo leagues, so he should be widely available ahead of this matchup.
Jason Sanders
Miami Dolphins (vs. LV)
The Miami Dolphins haven’t produced enough on offense for most of the season, making Jason Sanders an unreliable fantasy option most weeks. However, things have been looking up since Tua Tagovailoa’s return from injured reserve.
Entering Monday night’s game vs. the Los Angeles Rams, the Dolphins are averaging 3.18 points per drive in two games since Tua’s return. That’s the best of any team in that span.
Tua since returning from injury:
-80% completion
-232.5 YPG
-3 TDs
-0 Turnovers
-111.2 Passer RatingYet the Dolphins are 0-2 in those games. Both games the defense allowed 30 points. Both games he left the field with a lead or tie and never got another chance. pic.twitter.com/xjAIPzdI6K
— VBS (@VBSofficial_) November 3, 2024
Now Sanders will face a Las Vegas Raiders team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to kickers.
With the Dolphins expected to string together several scoring drives in this game, Sanders should have a solid floor. He’s only rostered in 4% of ESPN leagues (compared to 41% of Yahoo leagues).
Brandon McManus
Green Bay Packers (at CHI)
In two games since debuting with the Green Bay Packers, Brandon McManus is 6 for 7 on field goals and 6 for 6 on extra points. He should be widely available, considering the Packers are on bye in Week 10, which means he was likely dropped if he was rostered at all.
The Packers face the Chicago Bears in Week 11. Chicago has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to kickers this season, making this a plus matchup for McManus. And with Jordan Love receiving a week off to heal from his groin injury, Green Bay’s offense should function at a higher level than it did in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Make sure to check the weather before kickoff, as mid-November in Chicago can be a dicey proposition for kicking. Assuming reasonable conditions, McManus is an above-average play and is only rostered in 3% of leagues on both ESPN and Yahoo.