The kicker position is a tricky one if you don’t have the biggest names. Linda Godfrey offers streaming advice for the position in Week 10.
We made it halfway through the NFL season and things got funky to close Week 9. Coaches and coordinators were fired, one kicker got canned leading into Week 9, and one got placed on IR heading out of it.
Looking back to last week, I spent a lot of time in the fetal position repeating the mantra “good process, bad results.” I had Wil Lutz, Will Reichard, and Blake Grupe as my streams of the week. Wil Lutz was just a flat-out disappointment. I thought the Broncos and Bo Nix would fair a little better against the Ravens’ defense. Will Reichard attempted two field goals and missed both. They were the only two misses of his young career and now the rookie kicker is headed to IR. Blake Grupe, however, nailed 3 for 3 of his field goals and finished tied for K3 on the week.
Spoiler alert, we’re going back to the Grupe pool this week.
The Saints lost more than their matchup last week. Following the one-point loss to the Panthers, New Orleans fire their head coach, Dennis Allen. However, Blake Grupe came through for those who started him.
This week, the Saints are hosting the Atlanta Falcons at the Superdome. New Orleans is averaging 1.9 field goal attempts of the season but 2.3 attempts over the last three weeks. Atlanta is allowing two or more field goal attempts per game on average so far this season.
Also, and I’m not sure it really matters but for funsies, the Saints named the special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi as interim head coach.
Now, we’re going to get a little weird. It’s Week 10, you got to risk it to get the biscuit.
Will Reichard ended up on IR following the Week 9 win against Indianapolis. The Colts signed John Parker Romo on Tuesday, he’s spent time on a handful of practice squads but he’ll get his first game play on Sunday.
The Vikings head to Jacksonville for their Week 10 matchup. They are favorites and have a top-5 implied point total for the week. Minnesota has averaged two field goal attempts this season and get a Jaguars team that is allowing multiple field goal attempts per game.
It’s bold to start a guy who hasn’t won a starting gig, but fortune favors the bold.
This might be even bolder than my John Parker Romo pick. The Giants are not good, particularly on offense. Jude McAtamney started last week and made his only two attempts, a 31-yard field goal and an extra point. BUT! They’re playing inside and they’re favorites this week against the Panthers.
Carolina has allowed the 3rd most points to the kicker position this season. They’ve allowed double-digit points six of the nine weeks. On the other hand, the Giants are attempting 2.1 field goal attempts on average through nine weeks.
It’ll take guts to play the rookie kicker on a bad team, but remember they’re playing a bad team. That’s PEMDAS.
This is the easiest write-up of the week. The Los Angeles Chargers are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t allowed a single double-digit performance to kickers this year. That defense has truly turned a corner under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter.
The Jaguars’ offense continues to be a surprise week to week, maybe even quarter to quarter, you never know what you’re gonna get. That being said, Minnesota’s defense has been stout all year. They’re behind only the Chargers in points allowed to the kicker position, allowing their first double-digit performance to a kicker in Week 9.
I’ve done this one before and it really did not go well for me. I believe in second chances, though. Dak Prescott landed on IR following Week 9, leaving Cooper Rush to lead the Cowboys’ charge.
Dallas has the 4th-lowest implied point total of the week and they faceoff against a Philidelphia defense that has only allowed 9 total points to kickers over the last three weeks.
With four bye weeks, kicker benchings, and kicker injuries, deciding who to stream will be imperative. It’s also closing in on must-win territory for some leagues. The most important thing to remember at this point in the fantasy football season is this: Kickers Matter.
