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2025 fantasy football kicker rankings - Week 5 start, sit kicker rankings. Win more with our updated kicker fantasy football rankings and tiers for Week 5.
Kickers can be tricky to navigate for fantasy football, but they can and often do decide the difference between a win and a loss in your matchup. Use our Week 5 fantasy football kicker rankings as your guide for start-sit calls. In the full set of Week 5 kicker rankings below, check out where key options such as Harrison Butker, Cameron Dicker, Jake Bates, Joshua Karty, Jake Elliott, Cam Little, and Joey Slye stand, among others.
Our kicker fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!
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Week 5 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| Kicker Tier |
Kicker Rank |
Kicker Name |
Pos |
| 1 | 1 | Brandon Aubrey | K |
| 1 | 2 | Matt Prater | K |
| 1 | 3 | Spencer Shrader | K |
| 1 | 4 | Harrison Butker | K |
| 2 | 5 | Cameron Dicker | K |
| 2 | 6 | Jake Bates | K |
| 3 | 7 | Joshua Karty | K |
| 3 | 8 | Chase McLaughlin | K |
| 3 | 9 | Jason Myers | K |
| 3 | 10 | Chad Ryland | K |
| 4 | 11 | Tyler Loop | K |
| 4 | 12 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | K |
| 4 | 13 | Will Reichard | K |
| 4 | 14 | Cam Little | K |
| 4 | 15 | Matt Gay | K |
| 5 | 16 | Eddy Pineiro | K |
| 5 | 17 | Jake Elliott | K |
| 5 | 18 | Daniel Carlson | K |
| 5 | 19 | Wil Lutz | K |
| 5 | 20 | Riley Patterson | K |
| 5 | 21 | Jude McAtamney | K |
| 5 | 22 | Nick Folk | K |
| 6 | 23 | Blake Grupe | K |
| 6 | 24 | Evan McPherson | K |
| 6 | 25 | Joey Slye | K |
| 6 | 26 | Andy Borregales | K |
| 6 | 27 | Ryan Fitzgerald | K |
| 7 | 28 | Andre Szmyt | K |
Week 5 Fantasy Football News and Outlooks
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is the top-scoring fantasy receiver this season, and the gap between him and No. 2 isn't particularly small. Nacua has produced at an elite level despite scoring just two touchdowns through four games. He makes most of his impact with high reception and yardage totals.
He should continue to dominate this week against the 49ers despite the team allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. This game will be on Thursday night, showing a national audience just how elite Nacua has been through the first four contests of the 2025 campaign. He should be started as a high-end WR1 with confidence.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be relied on to carry the team's offense in Week 5. This is not unusual, but the load will be even heavier (metaphorically, but likely also literally) on Thursday, with wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) declared out due to injuries. Quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) will also be on the sidelines, and cede starting duties to Mac Jones for the third time in four games.
McCaffrey has been a force regardless of who is under center, starting the season with four straight top-10 PPR finishes at running back. He has been especially productive through the air, ranking second in the league in targets (43) and eighth in yardage (305). The rest of San Francisco's offense might be falling apart, but for as long as McCaffrey is healthy, he has RB1 potential and should be locked into starting fantasy lineups.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has plenty of momentum heading into a Week 5 clash against the San Francisco 49ers. He ranks as the overall QB12 in fantasy football this season and is coming off a spectacular outing that saw him rack up 375 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
He fared quite well in Week 4, but he did so against the Indianapolis Colts, whose defense is nothing more than average this season. He'll face a tougher test Thursday night in the form of the 49ers, who have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards and fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Stafford's top-12 upside is undeniable, but he'll rank as a mid-to-high QB2 this week.
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is trending toward a Week 6 return from injured reserve. Kittle strained his hamstring in Week 1 after posting four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, all in the first quarter. His return will be a major boost for San Francisco's offense, both as a pass catcher and as a blocker.
Once active, Kittle should immediately reclaim his role as a high-end TE1, though fantasy managers should be more concerned about his health risks and the 49ers' crowded target distribution.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller said Wednesday that his snap count is likely to increase in the coming weeks, according to Miami reporter Barry Jackson. The veteran tight had quite a debut for the Dolphins in Week 4, catching three passes for 27 yards and two touchdowns on just four targets and 16 total snaps.
Miami has eased Waller back into action this season, but he figures to keep gaining more time after Monday night. With receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the foreseeable future, Waller could quickly become one of the team's top pass-catching options alongside receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane.
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns could be turning more to rookie running back Quinshon Judkins now that the team has formally made a change at quarterback, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Cleveland's offense has been one of the very worst in the league, prompting the club to bench quarterback Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel for this week's game against Minnesota, which will be played in London.
Judkins looks to be a benefactor of the switch, as the Browns likely will look to their running attack to give the first-time starting quarterback some help against a good defensive line. Judkins has drawn 19 and 25 touches, respectively, during the past two weeks, opening the possibility he's going to get feature-back work as long as he's healthy.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is a suddenly relevant fantasy name who is sending managers rushing to the waiver wires this week ahead of a matchup against the lowly Tennessee Titans. The fifth-year back told reporters on Wednesday that he's poised to start the game after the Cardinals lost their top two running backs, James Conner (ankle) and Trey Benson (knee), in back-to-back weeks.
While Benson should return this year, the Arizona Republic reports the Cards could turn to a committee approach with Carter, Emari Demercado, and Zonovan Knight, but it was Carter who took snaps first at Wednesday's practice. Carter was a top-30 fantasy running back in 2021, and the opportunity gives him the chance at becoming a valuable fantasy add, especially during bye weeks.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers
In Week 5, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will once again ascend to the top of the depth chart thanks to injuries to both Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs). Bourne started alongside Pearsall in Jennings' absence in Week 3, and came away with four catches and 38 yards on six targets.
Hardly the boom some were hoping for, but with Pearsall also sidelined this time around, Bourne could see more work. As in Week 3, Bourne's former Patriots teammate, quarterback Mac Jones, will take the place of Brock Purdy (toe). It should be noted that their shared history didn't garner the receiver any special attention then, however. Bourne projects as a WR4 in Week 5, and with the 49ers playing on Thursday night, it is a risky bet to start the week with him occupying a starting WR slot in fantasy lineups.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding kickers like Matt Prater, Spencer Shrader, Cameron Dicker, Jake Bates, Joshua Karty, Chad Ryland, Tyler Loop, Will Reichard, Matt Gay, Jake Elliott. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
More Fantasy Football Rankings
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