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Nick Mariano looks at all 2026 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.
A modest second week followed the outpouring of points seen in Week 1, but surely you pressed the right buttons, and Lady Luck brought you the win. Kickers remain the beloved, exceptionally volatile pieces of our game, but that doesn't mean you trip yourself up by simply locking one into place for the entire year. Let's see if we can present you with sturdy options that could give you a lift this week, and perhaps weeks to come!
It is easy to feel complacent at 2-0, as well as reactive at 0-2. Whether this reflects your attitude toward the kicker slot, or your team at large, just remember to stay on your toes and take a measured approach toward building a winner. At any rate, let's move on to the next batch of games on the horizon!
With several kickers set up as strong plays at well under 60% rostered, we'll do our best to give you many choices to pick from. Even if you think those pesky kickers are all luck, there's no harm in thinking for an extra minute or two about a part of your precious starting lineup, right? Now, let's get into which kickers are worth streaming and who's ranked where going into Week 3.
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Week 3 Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football
| Kicker Tier |
Kicker Rank |
Kicker Name |
Team | Opp. |
| 1 | 1 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | BAL |
| 2 | 2 | Tyler Loop | BAL | @DAL |
| 2 | 3 | Eddy Pineiro | SF | ARI |
| 2 | 4 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | HOU | @IND |
| 2 | 5 | Harrison Butker | KC | @MIA |
| 2 | 6 | Jason Myers | SEA | @WSH |
| 2 | 7 | Evan McPherson | CIN | @PIT |
| 2 | 8 | Cam Little | JAX | NE |
| 3 | 9 | Trey Smack | GB | ATL |
| 3 | 10 | Tyler Bass | BUF | LAC |
| 3 | 11 | Jake Bates | DET | NYJ |
| 3 | 12 | Spencer Shrader | IND | HOU |
| 4 | 13 | Jason Sanders | NYJ | @DET |
| 4 | 14 | Ryan Fitzgerald | CAR | @CLE |
| 4 | 15 | Will Reichard | MIN | @TB |
| 4 | 16 | Jake Elliott | PHI | @CHI |
| 4 | 17 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | @BUF |
| 4 | 18 | Harrison Mevis | LAR | @DEN |
| 4 | 19 | Daniel Carlson | NO | LV |
| 4 | 20 | Andy Borregales | NE | @JAX |
| 4 | 21 | Matt Gay | LV | @NO |
| 5 | 22 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | MIN |
| 5 | 23 | Chris Boswell | PIT | CIN |
| 5 | 24 | Wil Lutz | DEN | LAR |
| 5 | 25 | Cairo Santos | CHI | PHI |
| 6 | 26 | Joey Slye | TEN | @NYG |
| 6 | 27 | Nick Folk | ATL | @GB |
| 6 | 28 | Dominic Zvada | NYG | TEN |
| 7 | 29 | Chad Ryland | ARI | @SF |
| 7 | 30 | Andre Szmyt | CLE | CAR |
| 7 | 31 | Drew Stevens | WAS | SEA |
| 7 | 32 | Riley Patterson | MIA | KC |
Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 3
**Those who kept the faith in Brandon Aubrey were rewarded, but everyone else is fair game. Swapping Cameron Dicker for the top name here is on the table.
Only players rostered in fewer than 60% of fantasy football leagues are considered streamers. Respect the tiers, and don't get as bogged down by pure ordinal rank.
Spencer Shrader (IND) vs. Houston Texans
10% Rostered
Outside of a missed extra point in Week 1, Shrader has picked up where he left off before tearing his ACL and MCL. You remember that, right? He was the No. 1 kicker over the first four games of 2025 with 55 fantasy points.
And this year, we’ve seen him sink a 58-yarder against Baltimore, and then Sunday Night Football brought us good FGs from 42, 49, and 38 yards. The Colts have faced a tough September schedule, and it won’t get easier with the Texans coming to Indy in Week 3. But at least they’re home in the dome! Shrader has been ready since August, by the way:
Spencer Shrader from SIXTY
DETvsIND on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wXxg2xPC7n— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026
Tyler Bass (BUF) vs. Los Angeles Chargers
18% Rostered
Well, Bass and the Bills ran roughshod over the Lions defense, which led to only five extra points for the Buffalo leg. Still, the pattern of chasing points is evident, and the number of times Buffalo pushes into kicking range is undeniable. The Chargers should put up stiffer resistance (anyone should compared to the 2026 Lions), and Buffalo’s early 28.5 implied total is tops in the league.
Harrison Butker (KC) at Miami Dolphins
28% Rostered
Butker drilled four field goals and three extra points in the 33-30 overtime win over Indianapolis on Sunday night. He’ll now head down to Florida, where the Chiefs are heavily favored (-10.5 spread) over the Dolphins. Again, the risk is that you buy into XP after XP, but we want those successful drives and control.
Ryan Fitzgerald (CAR) at Cleveland Browns
1% Rostered
Fitz added a pair of shorter field goals to four XPs during another strong offensive showing from the Panthers. We don’t want to overly weight facing the Bears and Falcons defenses, but early outputs of 37 and 34 points can’t be waved off.
This week’s road matchup with the Browns could offer more resistance, depending on which version of Deshaun Watson plays regarding field position. Fitzgerald had a solid rookie campaign last year, going 22-for-24 on FGs under 50 yards, but was only 2-for-5 from beyond that. Perhaps he finds that gear in ‘26, but either way, being attached to Carolina means more now.
Trey Smack (GB) at New York Jets
20% Rostered
Smack came through with two field goals, including the game-winner, and two XPs to follow up his three-FG effort in Week 1. It’s encouraging to see him hit the ground running at the professional level, because the Packers have struggled to finish drives with command. While the middling rush attack and Jayden Reed’s neck injury raise questions, the upcoming schedule is juicy.
The Pack will host the Falcons next, and then go up against the Bucs, Bears, Cowboys, Lions, and Panthers. All of those teams have opened the season with rather putrid defensive efforts and are capable of scoring over 30 themselves, so follow the points. The team is happy to lift him up after he hits the winners, so will you do the same to his rostered rate?
Trey Smack. pic.twitter.com/RSVEYhVM9R
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 20, 2026
Matt Gay (LV) vs. New Orleans Saints
10% Rostered
Gay made his lone Week 2 FG count by hitting from 59 yards out as the Raiders improved to 2-0 on the season. He hasn’t had a massive kicking game yet, but hasn’t missed when called upon. Week 3 brings an intriguing matchup at the Saints, who offer a dome and the quickest neutral pace of play (LV is fourth through two games).
These two teams could sneak into a shootout, especially if Brock Bowers returns. I'd be fine with either Gay or Carlson if you're simply trying to plug someone into the position. I realize he looks low on the ranks, but he's the last name in Tier 4, and that's what really matters beyond being pigeonholed into ordinal ranks for kickers, who could have less than a point's difference in projections between No. 12 and No. 22.
For the desperate teams needing deep-water legs:
-Daniel Carlson (NO, 1%) projects well with a 23.3 implied team total and has 19 fantasy points through two games. The Saints won’t be grinding out many 10-7 games this season.
-Jason Sanders (NYJ, 0%) has steadied after a turbulent preseason, and the Jets have been a surprisingly tough team to open 2026. Any game against Detroit's defense is a viable path to points.
-Dominic Zvada (NYG, 1%) and the Giants are poised to dominate the Titans at home in Week 3. Every other kicker with an implied team total above 24 points sits at 20% rostered or higher.
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