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Robert Lorge breaks down all 2021 fantasy football Week 12 kickers -- streamers, starts, sits, targets, avoids, and waiver wire pickups. His Week 12 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL kickers.
As the season chugs along, it's important for fantasy managers to keep tabs on injuries across the different offenses in the NFL. That seems like common sense and it is really, but how many times do we think of paying attention to those things for kickers? Prior to Kyler Murray's sprained ankle, Matt Prater was K3 after seven weeks of football. Since then, he's not even inside the top 20.
Fantasy managers should now be keeping an eye on Mason Crosby after the Packers' offensive line continues to get hit hard by injuries. First, it was the delayed return of David Bakhtiari. Then rookie starting center Josh Myers went onto IR with a knee injury. Now, stud lineman Elgton Jenkins moves to IR with a torn ACL. The Packers also lost Aaron Jones the week before with a sprained MCL. Fantasy managers should be concerned about putting Crosby into their starting lineup moving forward, at least until the Packers' offense gets healthier. And we haven't even touched on the mysterious toe injury Aaron Rodgers hasn't shared anything about.
Another kicker to be concerned about is Greg Zuerlein. The Cowboys could be without stud left tackle Tyron Smith. They'll also be without wide receiver Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb's availability is highly questionable after sustaining a concussion this past weekend with a short turnaround with a contest on Thanksgiving Day. If you're comfortable with your playoff standing, feel free to hang onto these stud kickers, but if you're in win or go home mode and need to get a win, use every arsenal in your repertoire. That includes kickers. Let's get to it!
Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.
Week 12 Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football
| Tier | Kicker | Opponent | PPG | Over/Under | Confidence |
| 1 | Nick Folk | vs TEN | 10.6 | 44.5 | 9.7 |
| Tyler Bass | @ NO | 9.1 | 46.5 | 9.6 | |
| Justin Tucker | vs CLE | 9.4 | 46 | 9.6 | |
| Greg Zuerlein | vs LVR | 8.2 | 51 | 9.4 | |
| Daniel Carlson | @ DAL | 8.4 | 51 | 9.4 | |
| Greg Joseph | @ SF | 9.7 | 48.5 | 9.3 | |
| Matt Gay | @ GB | 9.0 | 48 | 9.2 | |
| 2 | Michael Badgley | vs TB | 7.6 | 50 | 8.8 |
| Randy Bullock | @ NE | 8.7 | 44.5 | 8.7 | |
| Dustin Hopkins | @ DEN | 8.7 | 47 | 8.6 | |
| Ryan Succop | @ IND | 7.0 | 50 | 8.5 | |
| Robbie Gould | vs MIN | 8.5 | 48.5 | 8.5 | |
| Chris Boswell | @ CIN | 9.8 | 45.5 | 8.3 | |
| 3 | Jake Elliott | @ NYG | 8.4 | 47 | 7.9 |
| Joey Slye | vs SEA | 8.8 | 47 | 7.8 | |
| Mason Crosby | vs LAR | 6.7 | 48 | 7.6 | |
| Evan McPherson | vs PIT | 8.6 | 45.5 | 7.6 | |
| Graham Gano | vs PHI | 9.0 | 47 | 7.5 | |
| Brandon McManus | vs LAC | 7.7 | 47 | 7.5 | |
| Zane Gonzalez | @ MIA | 8.3 | 42.5 | 7.3 | |
| 4 | Chase McLaughlin | @ BAL | 6.5 | 46 | 6.7 |
| Younghoe Koo | @ JAX | 6.6 | 47 | 6.5 | |
| Jason Myers | @ WAS | 5.2 | 47 | 6.4 | |
| Cairo Santos | @ DET | 5.7 | 41.5 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | Jason Sanders | vs CAR | 5.5 | 42.5 | 5.7 |
| Brian Johnson | vs BUF | 7.8 | 46.5 | 5.6 | |
| Matthew Wright | vs ATL | 5.4 | 47 | 5.5 | |
| Matt Ammendola | @ HOU | 3.9 | 44 | 5.5 | |
| Ka’imi Fairbairn | vs NYJ | 4.7 | 44 | 5.5 | |
| Riley Patterson | vs CHI | 41.5 | 5.1 |
Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 12
Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles
Over the last four weeks, Elliott has been in double-digits three times. That includes one contest where he almost broke 20. He's averaged 13.75 points over that time span. The New York Giants have given up the 12th-most points to opposing kickers. The Giants are giving up 24.6 points per game and the Eagles' offense has been rolling as of late. Elliott has been on fire, the Eagles' offense is soaring, and the Giants present an excellent matchup. That's the recipe for a great streamer.
Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos
The matchup against the Chargers is one fantasy managers shouldn't be shying away from. The Chargers are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing kickers. The implied total of 47 points tells fantasy managers they can expect some points to be scored. McManus has struggled recently after a hot start, but I expect McManus to have a solid game this weekend. The Chargers' offense got back on track last week against Pittsburgh and the Broncos could find themselves in a position where they're chasing points. With the game on the road, McManus and his fantasy managers can take comfort he'll be kicking in optimal conditions.
Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers
Gould has been limited to just six games this season, but he's scored nine or more points in three of them. Since coming back off of IR, he's averaged 9.3 points with one contest of 14 points. In Week 12, the 49ers will run into a Minnesota defense that has struggled for most of the season. They've given up 24.2 points per game. The matchup for kickers is even more enticing. They've given up the fourth-most points to kickers this season.
Kicker Busts to Avoid for Week 12
Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
No other kicker has missed more 30-39 yard field goals this season than Mason Crosby. It's been an extremely frustrating season for Crosby and his fantasy managers. Now, as alluded to earlier, the Packers' offense is going through a lot of injury concerns. The Packers will head into Week 12 against a Rams team fresh off a bye week after having lost back-to-back games. The Rams' have been tough on opposing kickers, giving up just 6.9 points per game, which is the 13th-fewest in the league. With the difficult matchup and the injuries piling up on the Packers' offense, fantasy managers should find a different kicker to start this weekend.
Graham Gano, New York Giants
The Daniel Jones offense is a disaster and there's no reason fantasy managers should be expecting it to get any better. The Eagles are playing much better as of late and I expect that to carry over into Week 12. While Gano does have two games with 11 or more points in the last six weeks, the other four contests came in at three points, five points, and four points. He also scored four points on Monday Night Football against the Buccaneers. To make matters even worse, the Eagles have allowed the seventh-fewest points to opposing kickers.
Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams
After two games where the Rams scored just 26 combined points and coming off of a bye, I would expect the Rams' offense to come out clicking and ready to get back on a winning streak. However, they got a tough matchup in Week 12. For starters, they're on the road in a cold and difficult venue in Green Bay. The Packers' defense has been one of the best in the NFL and they are the absolute best at limiting opposing kickers. In fact, kickers have averaged just 4.9 points against the Packers. With all the injuries on the Packers' offense, I expect the game plan for the green and gold is to slow this game down to a crawl. They're already one of the slowest offenses in the league, but with the injuries they've suffered, fantasy managers should expect them to lean on their defense. The Rams' offense is also still getting used to being without Robert Woods and trying to incorporate Odell Beckham Jr. into their offense. If I have Matt Gay, I'm starting him, but I'm lowering my expectations.
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