Week 9 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is already here and fantasy managers are scrambling to secure their lineups through another slate of action as the fantasy playoffs draw closer each week. Consistency at the kicker position is one of the more underrated facets of a successful fantasy football team and with rankings constantly changing by the week, it's important to stay on top of the position while league mates may not be paying attention.
The kicker position has been extremely volatile all season and although injuries haven't been a massive storyline, the overall usage of kickers has gone up over the last few years. There were no injuries to the kicker position to report in Week 8, but another slate of teams will be hitting their bye week, so it'll be crucial to find replacements where necessary.
Aside from elite kicker options like Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey and Los Angeles Chargers' Cameron Dicker, we'll be taking a look at some of the best starts of Week 9 and which kickers you can leave on your bench.
Week 9 Kickers – Start ‘Em
This Week's Top Kicker Starts:
- Brandon Aubrey (DAL) – vs. ARI
- Cameron Dicker (LAC) – @TEN
- Michael Badgley (IND) – @PIT
- Tyler Loop (BAL) – @MIA
- Eddy Pineiro (SF) – @NYG
Joshua Karty (LAR) – vs. NO
The Los Angeles Rams are coming into Week 9 following a Week 8 bye and another week for star wide receiver Puka Nacua to get healthy. Nacua is slated to play against the Saints in the upcoming game, so this Rams' offense is expected to be at full power once again. The Rams are a much better team when they're able to move the ball downfield and Karty has seen double-digit fantasy performance twice this season when Puka Nacua is in the lineup. The Saints are allowing the fifth-most (9.9) points to opposing fantasy kickers, so look for Karty to have an active day.
Cairo Santos (CHI) – @CIN
The Chicago Bears will be looking for a much better outing following their tough loss to Baltimore in Week 8. While the Cincinnati Bengals are only allowing an average of 7.9 points to kickers per game, their defense has allowed opposing teams totals of 37-27-31-39. With Chicago winning four of their last five games and kicker Cairo Santos returning from injury, this could be a great spot for both parties to get back on track with a big performance.
Chad Ryland (ARI) – @DAL
Some of the most effective fantasy kickers are the ones with slower-developing offenses as drives tend to stall out before hitting the red zone. The Arizona Cardinals draw a tough matchup on paper against the Cowboys, but the Dallas defense hasn't been impervious to any mistakes this season. The Cardinals are fresh coming off their bye week and could look to hang some points in a high-scoring game between both quarterbacks, resulting in looks for Ryland.
Week 9 Kickers – Sit ‘Em
Will Reichard (MIN) – @DET
The Minnesota Vikings draw a tough divisional road matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 9, a game they haven't historically done well in. QB Carson Wentz is done for the season and rookie JJ McCarthy will likely have to face a hungry, rested defense with his limited play time this year. This, of course, doesn't bode well for kicker Will Reichard, who saw just two field goal attempts in the Vikings' last loss. Fade the Vikings entirely as the Detroit Lions come in off a bye week looking to make a statement.
Brandon McManus (GB) – vs. CAR
Brandon McManus returned to the Packers from injury in Week 8 after the team had to sign backup Lucas Havrisik in an emergency situation. McManus returned against the Pittsburgh Steelers and misses on both of his attempts beyond 40 yards. While Green Bay won the game handily in the second half, the misses came at crucial points that could have helped his team out.
With Havrisik still on the active roster, it'll be interesting to see which direction the Packers decide to go in. McManus is already 34 and has been a veteran of the league for 12 seasons while the Havrisik presents a great option for the future at 26 years old. Furthermore, in his time as the starter, Havrisik managed to break the Packers' franchise record with a 61-yard make in the Packers' win over Arizona, so don't be surprised if the team decides to move in another direction away from McManus.
Parker Romo (ATL) – @NE
Atlanta Falcons kicker Parker Romo has had his weeks of brilliance with 18.0 points in Week 2 and 10.0 points in Week 4, but he's failed to score more than 5.0 fantasy points in any of the weeks since. The Atlanta Falcons will be facing the top-ranked defense in fantasy with the New England Patriots in Week 9, so it'd be smart to stay away from a Falcons team that struggled against the Miami Dolphins.
