Best Week 1 Kicker Streamers - Fantasy Football Kickers to Pickup and Start

September 8, 2026

The top Week 1 kicker streamers, fantasy football pickups and kicker starts for 2026. Target these fantasy kicker streaming options with strong Week 1 matchups.

Hey RotoBallers! Fantasy football season is back in full swing with Week 1 of the NFL season underway. One of the most important parts of setting your fantasy lineup is finding the most upside at the kicker position.

To do so, most managers target kickers on high-octane offenses and projected for high-scoring games to get the most out of this lineup spot. Below, we will look at several sneaky streaming options for the kicker position that are widely available across Yahoo leagues.

Who are some top streaming options at the kicker position in Week 1? Let's dive in and make some winning moves.

Top Kicker Streamers for Week 1

Only players rostered in fewer than 65% of fantasy football leagues are considered potential streamers.

Trey Smack (GB) at Minnesota Vikings
15% Rostered

Let's begin this streamer piece with a rookie. Smack joined the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Florida. With the Gators, Smack showed upside but was coming off a modest final series in which he posted an 81.8% FG%, a stark drop from the 85.7% he posted the year prior.

However, with the Packers moving on from Brandon McManus, Smack was well-positioned to claim the starting job in camp. In the preseason, the 23-year-old quickly proved he was capable of taking the lead job. In his debut, he went 3-for-3 (including a 58-yarder) and followed that up with a 4-for-4 effort in Week 2, where he added a 59-yard field goal.

Look at Matt LaFleur’s face after Trey Smack just hit a 59-yard field goal.

He’s one of us… 😂 pic.twitter.com/mnUe3VfFwJ

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) August 22, 2026

In Week 1, Smack and the Packers will face the Vikings in what should be a high-scoring affair, as shown by the 46.5 O/U total on DraftKings. With Josh Jacobs unable to play, expect the Packers to lean on their passing attack, which would provide many scoring opportunities. Seeing him convert from deep range in the preseason should give the Packers confidence to let him attempt longer field goals.

Daniel Carlson (NO) at Detroit Lions
1% Rostered 

Daniel Carlson was not on the fantasy radar of many entering the preseason, but the veteran won the starting gig in New Orleans. Even though Carlson had a disappointing end to his tenure with the Raiders in 2025, managers in 14-team leagues should consider streaming him this weekend.

In 2025, Carlson went 22-for-27 (the second-worst FG% rate of his career) and went just 11-for-16 on attempts of 40 yards or greater. However, the season before, Carlson posted an 85% FG% while hitting 7-of-11 attempts from 50+ yards. On Sunday, Carlson could be the beneficiary of a high-scoring matchup in Week 1 as the Saints travel to Detroit to face the Lions (49.5 O/U).

Given Tyler Shough's strong finish to the 2025 season, this Saints offense could light up the scoreboard on Sunday afternoon.

Chase McLaughlin (TB) at Cincinnati Bengals
15% Rostered

Chase McLaughlin enjoyed a strong start to the 2025 season, attempting at least three field goals in all but two of his first five games. However, injuries to the Buccaneers' offense capped his ceiling. Still, with Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Chris Godwin Jr. all healthy ahead of Week 1, this offense could quickly return to form in 2026.

They have one of the easiest matchups on the slate, facing the Cincinnati Bengals, who allowed the third-most total points per game, right behind only the Cowboys and Jets. Given that this contest holds the highest 50.5 O/U point total on the slate, McLaughlin is a strong play across all league sizes in Week 1.

Wil Lutz (DEN) at Kansas City Chiefs
20% Rostered

Lutz may not have the best matchup on the slate, but he does offer managers a safe floor in Week 1. Last season, Lutz finished as the K16 in overall fantasy points and went 28-for-32 on attempts. He also went a perfect 39-for-39 on extra points, putting him 11th among all kickers. The Denver offense was above average last season and is projected to be even more productive in 2026 with the addition of Jaylen Waddle.

They will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, who allowed the sixth-fewest total points per game last season. However, given Lutz's floor and productive offensive environment, managers looking to avoid unproven options in Week 1 should turn to the veteran in Denver.

Spencer Shrader (IND) vs. Baltimore Ravens
10% Rostered

Rounding out this edition of kicker streamers will be a near-year-end waiver wire hero from the 2025 season. Shrader averaged 12.8 FPTS/G over the first four games before suffering a torn ACL and MCL. However, after winning the starting job back in the preseason, Shrader is poised to re-emerge as a top fantasy option.

In Week 1, the Colts could find themselves in a high-scoring affair against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Currently, this matchup carries a 47.5 O/U on DraftKings, suggesting Shrader should have prime scoring opportunities at Lucas Oil Stadium. With Daniel Jones fully healthy, this Colts offense could once again show similar upside to what they did in the first half of the 2025 season in a favorable matchup in the season opener.

Week 1 Kicker Rankings and Tiers

Read more Kicker news and updates for Week 1

Who Should I Start Tool

You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.

Week 1 Kicker Decisions. Today's focus is on specific kickers - Spencer Shrader, Wil Lutz, Chase McLaughlin, Daniel Carlson, and Trey Smack. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.

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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 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 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? 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 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Spencer Shrader, Wil Lutz, Chase McLaughlin, Daniel Carlson, and Trey Smack:

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