Week 3 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2025 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

September 20, 2025

Kacey Kasem looks at all 2025 fantasy football Week 3 kickers -- streamers, starts, sits, targets, avoids, and waiver wire pickups. Our Week 3 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL kickers.

Welcome back to our fantasy football kicker streamers, starts, and tiered rankings for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Kickers were on full display last week, showing they can be game changers for fantasy just as much as star wideouts or running backs. For instance, Brandon Aubrey put up a monster performance in Week 2 with 22 fantasy points. That was more than his own teammate, CeeDee Lamb (20.2 PPR points).

Managers who picked up Spencer Shrader and Parker Romo have to be happy heading into Week 3. Shrader currently sits as K1 on the season, while Romo filled in beautifully for Younghoe Koo. There is a strong chance these kickers are available on waivers, which I'll get to.

Heading into Week 3, I'll be looking at the kickers you can stream for huge returns. On the flip side, I'll also focus on three kickers that are better left on the bench (or to waivers). Let's kick it off right now!

Week 3 Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football

Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 3

Only players rostered in fewer than 60% of fantasy football leagues are considered streamers. 

Matt Prater (BUF) vs. Miami Dolphins
28% Rostered

Prater has been perfect in 2025. He stepped in for an injured Tyler Bass and is still as reliable as ever, even at age 39.

In Week 2's 30-10 win over the Jets, the vet knocked in all three of his field goals, including a 52-yard make. He also hit on all three of his extra points.

Matt Prater extends his NFL record on 50+ yard makes to 82 ⬇️🙌

📺 BUFvsNYJ on CBS pic.twitter.com/PELPsgKmID

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 14, 2025

Prater already has a game-winner under his belt from Week 1's contest. Through two weeks, he's tied as the K4 overall with 26 fantasy points. On the season, he's connected on all six of his field goal attempts while going 5-for-5 on extra points.

This week, he faces the Dolphins, a team tied for the fourth-most fantasy points allowed to opposing kickers this year. This matchup looks like a prime one for Prater, and he'll be a safe plug-and-play option for Thursday night.

Spencer Shrader (IND) at Tennessee Titans
21% Rostered

A kicker who is under-rostered and putting up brilliant numbers is Shrader of the Colts. After scoring a whopping 16 points in the first week of the season, the 26-year-old tallied 18 points against the Broncos in Week 2. Shrader drilled five field goals, including the game-winning FG from 45 yards out.

Shrader has accounted for 35 of Indy's points this season. Additionally, he hasn't missed a kicker inside of 60 yards. If that doesn't scream safe, I don't know what does.

Spencer. Michael. Shrader. 📈 pic.twitter.com/p4elQH88Zq

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 14, 2025

The second-year kicker even got a second chance after coming up short from the 60-yard line in Sunday's contest, thanks to a 15-yard Denver penalty. So yeah, the kid is calm under pressure.

Managers have been slow to jump on the Shrader show, but he's the overall K1 right now and should stay busy against a Titans team that'll force field goal attempts. He needs to be scooped up before anyone else gets him.

Parker Romo (ATL) at Carolina Panthers
1% Rostered

So, I said don't start Romo in Week 2, and I'll get this out of the way. He was definitely start-worthy in Week 2, and he'll be another nice addition to your starting lineup this week.

So, let's talk about his debut. He filled in for Koo, whom the Falcons left in Atlanta. The undrafted kicker hit all five of his field goals, including a long of 54 yards, and added an extra point as well.

Raheem Morris says of the Falcons' kicking situation "There is a 90% chance [Parker] Romo is our kicker next week."

He won't say for sure right now, but going 5/5 last night was a great start for Parker Romo.

— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) September 15, 2025

Atlanta has yet to name him the long-term starter, but it looks like Romo's job after Koo's Week 1 blunder (missing the game-winner). Romo has displayed confidence from a mix of ranges, knocking in kicks from 29, 33, 38, and the previously mentioned 54 yards in Week 2.

For those who miss out on Shrader, Romo is the perfect pick-up. If he's still on waivers, a strong possibility, grab him before your league-mates take notice.

Kickers to Avoid for Week 3

Matt Gay (WAS) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
20% Rostered 

He's here again. Gay has been shaky from a distance this season, much like his 2024. In Week 1, Gay didn't attempt a field goal. Against the Packers in Week 2, the former fifth-rounder hit on just 1-of-3 field goals, knocking in a kick from 51 yards but missing from 52 and 58.

He connected on just three of his nine kicks from 50-plus yards last season with the Colts. He's missed two of the three field goals from that range to start the 2025 campaign. Last week, Washington managed only 230 yards of total offense, limiting Gay's ceiling. The Commanders might think twice about attempting field goals from a distance in Week 3's showdown with the Raiders, considering Gay's rocky start.

A big reason the Colts cut Matt Gay during the offseason is because he hit just 33% of his field goal attempts from 50+ yards last year (3 of 9).

He's now at 33% from 50+ in this game #Packers #Commanders pic.twitter.com/rU7WYgoyuC

— John Breech (@johnbreech) September 12, 2025

Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a sprained knee, which may force him to sit out against Las Vegas. The Commanders' offense is middle-of-the-road so far this season, so no matter who is under center, don't expect Gay to be called on much.

Through two weeks, he's totaled just 11 total fantasy points. A shaky offense and a kicker struggling with distance isn't someone to take a shot on in Week 3.

Wil Lutz (DEN) at Los Angeles Chargers
75% Rostered

The early season hasn't been kind to Wil Lutz. He's seen low volume and a capped ceiling in the Denver offense. The kicker hasn't done much to help fantasy rosters, as displayed in Week 2.

He missed his only field-goal try (42 yards) against the Colts. One bright side for managers is that he made all four of his extra point attempts. In Week 1, Lutz put up eight fantasy points, but saw just three points in Week 2. Denver's offense relied on touchdowns when facing Indy, leaving Lutz with few chances to score.

#Broncos kicker Wil Lutz on 42-yard miss: “The ball didn’t feel good at all. I missed. … The team deserved to win this game. So my number was called on fourth down and the ball didn’t go in. Got to be better.”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 15, 2025

Heading into Week 3, the Broncos take on the Chargers. Los Angeles gave up the 10th fewest fantasy points to the kicker position last season. There's no denying Lutz's talent, but you need more than two field goals to be a top kicker option right now.

Lutz is an accurate kicker from a distance, but he needs to see attempts for that to matter. He will once the Broncos find their flow. There are streamers with higher projected volume available, so fade the Georgia State alum in this matchup.

Cairo Santos (CHI) at Dallas Cowboys
2% Rostered 

He's not highly rostered, but Santos is walking a fine line and shouldn't be picked up off waivers this week. The Bears signed Jake Moody to the practice squad, signaling there are trust issues at the kicker position. (Moody was already cut from the 49ers this season and shouldn't be on fantasy radars.)

Santos has a total of nine fantasy points through two games, and he came away with just three extra points in Week 2's matchup. The Bears' offense has been lackluster, and until the team finds its rhythm, there's no reason to trust Santos.

Ben Johnson says Jake Moody is a talented player but they have a lot of confidence in Cairo Santos. Says it’s not an open competition. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 14, 2025

Dallas might look good on paper because they've permitted the ninth-most points to kickers this season. The Bears have to get into scoring position for that to matter. There's a reasonable chance that can happen, with Jerry Jones deciding to part ways with Micah Parsons and the Cowboys' pass defense performing poorly over two weeks.

If Santos is going to bounce back, this is the contest to do it in. Temper expectations for now and look for a kicker with a higher floor while Santos gets his groove back.

More Waiver Wire Analysis