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The 2023 NFL regular season is almost here. The dress rehearsal known as the preseason is in the rearview mirror, and the fantasy football season is within our grasp.
While some fantasy football players still have a down-to-the-wire or last-minute fantasy football draft on opening night, most of us will have already turned our attention to the regular season.
It’s critical to get off to a hot start and win the first matchup of the year. So let’s look at the top fantasy football kicker rankings, streamers, and starts for Week 1. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Week 1 Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football
| Kicker Tier |
Kicker Rank |
Kicker Name |
Pos |
| 1 | 1 | Justin Tucker | K |
| 1 | 2 | Harrison Butker | K |
| 1 | 3 | Tyler Bass | K |
| 2 | 4 | Daniel Carlson | K |
| 2 | 5 | Younghoe Koo | K |
| 2 | 6 | Evan McPherson | K |
| 2 | 7 | Jason Sanders | K |
| 2 | 8 | Nick Folk | K |
| 3 | 9 | Brandon McManus | K |
| 3 | 10 | Jason Myers | K |
| 3 | 11 | Matt Gay | K |
| 3 | 12 | Jake Elliott | K |
| 3 | 13 | Graham Gano | K |
| 4 | 14 | Matt Prater | K |
| 4 | 15 | Greg Joseph | K |
| 4 | 16 | Wil Lutz | K |
| 4 | 17 | Greg Zuerlein | K |
| 4 | 18 | Dustin Hopkins | K |
| 4 | 19 | Michael Badgley | K |
| 4 | 20 | Riley Patterson | K |
| 5 | 21 | Jake Moody | K |
| 5 | 22 | Cameron Dicker | K |
| 5 | 23 | Chris Boswell | K |
| 5 | 24 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | K |
| 5 | 25 | Cairo Santos | K |
| 5 | 26 | Chase McLaughlin | K |
| 5 | 27 | Cade York | K |
| 5 | 28 | Brandon Aubrey | K |
| 5 | 29 | Eddy Pineiro | K |
| 5 | 30 | Anders Carlson | K |
| 5 | 31 | Brett Maher | K |
| 5 | 32 | Tanner Brown | K |
Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 1
Only players who are rostered in fewer than 60% of fantasy football leagues are considered streamers.
Brandon Aubrey (DAL) vs. New York Giants
0.7% Rostered
After spending three of the past four years in Dallas, the Cowboys moved on from Brett Maher this offseason, replacing him with the former USFL star. Brandon Aubrey has spent the past two years with the Birmingham Stallions.
The former Notre Dame kicker made over 86% of his field goal attempts in the USFL. Furthermore, he converted 10 of his 13 attempts from 40 or more yards away (76.9%).
Meanwhile, the Giants surrendered nine fantasy points per game to kickers last season, the fifth-most in the NFL. New York also gave up 11 fantasy points per game to kickers over their final five contests, surrendering double-digits three times.
This matchup has one of the highest over/under totals in Week 1, meaning Aubrey should see several opportunities in his NFL debut.
Chase McLaughlin (TB) vs. Minnesota Vikings
0.4% Rostered
Week 1 is all about the under-the-radar and lesser-rostered kickers. While Chase McLaughlin is rostered in under 1% of ESPN leagues, the veteran kicker is an excellent streaming option against the Vikings.
Last year, Minnesota gave up 11.6 fantasy points per game to kickers, the most in the NFL. Furthermore, they surrendered double-digit fantasy points to kickers in eight consecutive games to end last season.
The veteran kicker spent last year with the Indianapolis Colts. The team struggled offensively, averaging only 17 points per game, the third-fewest in the NFL. However, McLaughlin was the eighth-highest-scoring kicker on a points-per-game basis, averaging 8.1 fantasy points per contest.
Meanwhile, this matchup has one of the highest over/under totals in Week 1. Therefore, don’t be surprised when McLaughlin has a top-10 finish.
Nick Folk (TEN) vs. New Orleans Saints
0.2% Rostered
Nick Folk recently got traded to the Titans after the team went through multiple kickers this offseason.
The veteran kicker spent the past several years with the New England Patriots. Last season, Folk averaged eight fantasy points per game, making him the sixth-highest-scoring kicker in fantasy football. He also made over 86% of his field goal attempts in 2022.
More importantly, he has a fantasy-friendly Week 1 matchup against the Saints. New Orleans struggled to slow down opposing kickers last year. They gave up 8.9 fantasy points per game to kickers, the sixth-most in the NFL.
Furthermore, the Saints surrendered eight or more fantasy points to kickers in 67% of their home games last season. Folk should have a strong performance, with the Week 1 matchup being in New Orleans.
Kickers to Avoid for Week 1 Fantasy Football
Fantasy players should always stream the kicker position. However, it’s important to avoid picking up and starting a kicker that will be a bust. Let’s see which two kickers you shouldn’t pick up off the waiver wire this week.
Matt Gay (IND) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
54.9% Rostered
The Colts made a splashy free agent move this offseason, signing Matt Gay to a four-year contract. Last year, the former Utah star was the 13th-highest-scoring kicker, averaging 7.6 fantasy points per game, a career low.
However, he averaged 1.8 field goal attempts per game on a struggling Los Angeles Rams offense. By comparison, Gay averaged 2.1 field goal attempts per game in his career before last season.
Unfortunately, fantasy players should expect the veteran kicker to struggle in 2023, especially earlier in the year. Indianapolis has an inexperienced and limited offense.
Therefore, Gay won’t have many scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, the Jaguars held opposing kickers to only seven fantasy points per game last year, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. While the veteran is one of the top kickers in the league, Gay belongs on the waiver wire in Week 1.
Greg Zuerlein (NYJ) vs. Buffalo Bills
26.4% Rostered
Greg Zuerlein showed why his nickname is “Legatron” last year after he set the Jets’ franchise record with a 60-yard field goal in the Week 13 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran was a solid fantasy option last season, ending the year as the 11th-highest-scoring kicker, averaging 7.6 fantasy points per game.
The former Cowboy and Ram had four double-digit fantasy point performances in 2022, including 18 against Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Jets added Aaron Rodgers this offseason, giving them one of the most improved offenses in the NFL. Therefore, Zuerlein should have a better year this season than in 2022.
However, he belongs on the waiver wire in Week 1. Last season, the Bills held kickers to only 6.2 fantasy points per game, the second-fewest in the league. Furthermore, Zuerlein averaged seven fantasy points per game in the two matchups against Buffalo last year.
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
