RADIO
A month of the NFL season is in the books, but the streamer game at the kicker position in fantasy football will continue all season. Even though we have four games of data for each team, kicker projections are very elastic week-to-week and it's too early to draw definitive conclusions. That said, four weeks of games is at least a decent enough sample size to make some predictions, so it's time to start weighing previous outcomes more in our Week 5 projections.
Kicker statistics vary widely year to year and even week-to-week, but if you were one of the first fantasy managers to draft a kicker such as Justin Tucker, Tyler Bass, or Daniel Carlson, you're likely starting them every week. It's worth noting Harrison Butker could be back for the Chiefs this week after injuring his ankle in Week 1. He's missed the last three games but has seemingly been a close call in each of the last two weeks. However, Matthew Wright is a strong option if he starts again after a successful Week 3 against Tampa Bay.
Austin Seibert missed the game against the Seattle Seahawks, but he could be back for Week 5 against the New England Patriots. If Dominik Eberle starts again, he's not an attractive option. For the rest of us who are playing the weekly streamer game at kicker, we're relying on a lot of variables for our kicker to deliver a solid fantasy performance, but that's just the name of the game for leagues that utilize the position.
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Week 5 Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football
| Rank | Tier | Kicker | Opponent | Over/Under |
| 1 | 1 | Daniel Carlson | @ KC | 53 |
| 2 | 1 | Tyler Bass | vs. PIT | 47 |
| 3 | 1 | Matthew Wright/Harrison Butker | vs. LV | 53 |
| 4 | 1 | Matt Gay | vs. DAL | 45.5 |
| 5 | 1 | Younghoe Koo | @ TB | 48.5 |
| 6 | 1 | Justin Tucker | vs. CIN | 48 |
| 7 | 1 | Ryan Succop | vs. ATL | 48.5 |
| 8 | 2 | Evan McPherson | @ BAL | 48 |
| 9 | 2 | Jake Elliott | @ ARI | 49.5 |
| 10 | 2 | Matt Prater | vs. PHI | 49.5 |
| 11 | 2 | Brett Maher | @ LAR | 45.5 |
| 12 | 2 | Jason Sanders | @ NYJ | 44 |
| 13 | 2 | Cade York | vs. LAC | 49.5 |
| 14 | 3 | Riley Patterson | vs. HOU | 45 |
| 15 | 3 | Dustin Hopkins | @ CLE | 49.5 |
| 16 | 3 | Austin Seibert | @ NE | 47 |
| 17 | 3 | Brandon McManus | vs. IND | 43.5 |
| 18 | 3 | Greg Joseph | vs. CHI | 42.5 |
| 19 | 3 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | @ JAX | 45 |
| 20 | 3 | Chris Boswell | @ BUF | 47 |
| 21 | 4 | Nick Folk | vs. DET | 47 |
| 22 | 4 | Graham Gano | vs. GB* | 41.5 |
| 23 | 4 | Jason Myers | @ NO | 45.5 |
| 24 | 4 | Chase McLaughlin | @ DEN | 43.5 |
| 25 | 4 | Randy Bullock | @ WAS | 43 |
| 26 | 4 | Joey Slye | vs. TEN | 43 |
| 27 | 4 | Wil Lutz | vs. SEA | 45.5 |
| 28 | 5 | Eddy Piñeiro | vs. SF | 39 |
| 29 | 5 | Mason Crosby | vs. NYG* | 41.5 |
| 30 | 5 | Robbie Gould | @ CAR | 39 |
| 31 | 5 | Greg Zuerlein | vs. MIA | 44 |
| 32 | 5 | Cairo Santos | @ MIN | 42.5 |
* Game in London
Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 5
Note: Only players who are rostered in fewer than 50 percent of fantasy football leagues are considered streamers.
Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys (at Los Angeles Rams)
Maher heads into Week 5 as a top-five fantasy kicker in total points, and Dallas' offense has looked just fine with Cooper Rush under center while Dak Prescott (finger) has been out. The Rams' defense doesn't look immortal this year, so this could be a high-scoring contest with a lot of opportunities for the veteran placekicker.
Cade York, Los Angeles Chargers (at Cleveland Browns)
York is another surprise at the kicker position, coming into the week as a top-10 scorer in total fantasy points among the position. Cleveland's offense has looked good at times too, but its defense will struggle to keep Justin Herbert and the Chargers off the scoreboard. It's smart to target kickers who could be in shootout game conditions, as York should be in Week 5.
Riley Patterson, Jaguars (vs. Houston Texans)
Patterson has exceeded preseason expectations thanks to a much-improved Trevor Lawrence, and here's another spot for the Jags' offensive attack to flex its muscles against a lowly Texans team. The projected over/under isn't high because of the poor Houston offense, but Jacksonville could hang 40 or more on its AFC South Rival.
Kicker Busts to Avoid for Week 5
Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers (@ Carolina Panthers)
Gould has plenty of name recognition as an 18-year NFL veteran, but the 49ers-Panthers matchup is set to be a snoozer with a projected point total of 39. There's a chance this turns into a field goal kicker competition and Gould plays off, but in a game with two anemic offenses, that's not a risk worth taking.
Graham Gano, New York Giants (vs. Packers)
Gano is probably one of the best "real-life" kickers in the NFL, and despite being a top-10 fantasy kicker through four weeks, he's a fade in Week 5. Sure, Gano has had success despite a bad Giants offense, but the Packers' defense will be its toughest test, and Gano likely won't be in scoring position often.
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