Another week of fantasy football, another week of managing the ever-fluctuating kicker market. The position remains the most volatile and often unpredictable for fantasy managers, which will not change in NFL Week 9.
Although four teams are on a bye in Week 9, Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the only fantasy-relevant kicker who will be out of commission. Any potential Andre Szmyt, Nick Folk or Jake Elliott owners will also have to look elsewhere, but were probably not doing too well under those situations anyway.
Any potential owners of Brandon McManus might also need to seek a backup option. McManus' quad injury has him listed as questionable for Week 9, but the Green Bay Packers' recent transactions suggest that he will suit up.
Fantasy football managers address the kicker position early in the week, but there are always several options available. Many overlooked players are still available in most leagues late in NFL Week 9.
Andy Borregales, New England Patriots
As one of four rookie kickers starting in the 2025 NFL season, the New England Patriots' Andy Borregales has still not gained fantasy football managers' respect by Week 9. Missing two extra points in Week 2 did not help, but the Miami alum finds himself in a potential breakout spot against the Atlanta Falcons.
Since those two Week 2 blunders, Borregales has not missed a kick, going 8-for-9 on field goal attempts and 19-for-19 on extra points. He has also not missed a field goal since his Week 1 debut.
The Falcons enter Week 9 allowing 8.0 points per game to kickers, tied for the 10th-most in the league. They are coming off a Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins in which they gave up 10 points to Riley Patterson.
The Patriots should be able to move the ball efficiently against the Falcons' inconsistent defense. New England is running the ball at the seventh-highest rate through nine games ahead of a matchup with Atlanta's defense, which is currently allowing the 11th-most rushing yards per game and 10th-most yards per carry.
Drake Maye currently has the Patriots' offense looking as good as it has in years, which will give Borregales opportunities to put up points. He could end the week as a top-12 fantasy football kicker.
Blake Grupe, New Orleans Saints
Blake Grupe could easily be the next kicker to lose his job. The third-year kicker has a league-high six missed field goals through eight games. But if he is going to receive the axe, it should not be in Week 9, when he should have his best game of the year.
While Grupe's accuracy issues have plagued his young career, he will have his best matchup of the year in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are currently allowing the 11th-most kicker points in the league, largely based on their NFL-best 40 percent red zone defensive touchdown rate.
Grupe has had his struggles, but he has also thrived in the right positions. The 26-year-old put up 14 fantasy points in Week 5 and 16 points in Week 6, showcasing his ability to churn out meaningful production in fortuitous matchups.
The bust potential is always high with Grupe, but he should receive enough opportunities to muster enough usable production. Fantasy football managers should not view Grupe as a season-long kicker, though he is a worthy streamer in Week 9.
Michael Badgley, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts watched their top-five fantasy football kicker go down for the season when a freak injury forced Spencer Shrader out of commission. They have since managed to find another premier fantasy option in journeyman Michael Badgley.
Badgley, who has yet to miss a field goal in 2025, is still unowned in the majority of fantasy football leagues. He has an opportunity to change that in Week 9, during which he could realistically end as a top-five kicker.
The biggest issue for Badgley in 2025 has been his lack of opportunities simply due to the Colts' hyper-efficient offense. Indianapolis will have success against a struggling Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but it could struggle to reach paydirt more than expected. The Steelers surprisingly boast the fourth-best red zone defense in the league, only allowing touchdowns on 50 percent of their opponents' trips inside the 20-yard line.
As a result of their elite red zone defense, Pittsburgh is allowing 8.1 points per game to kickers, tied for seventh-most in the league. It has allowed 11.0 points to kickers over the last three games, the most in the NFL.
Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have struggled since Week 2, but that has not extended to Chad Ryland. After a semi-slow start to the season, Ryland has quietly been one of the best kickers in the league over the last month.
After missing two kicks over the first three weeks, Ryland has yet to miss the uprights. He has 7-for-7 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points since Week 3 and scored 10 or more fantasy points in three of the Cardinals' last four games.
Ryland and the Cardinals now get a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys' bottom-five defense. The Cowboys are struggling to defend all areas, including against kickers. Through eight games, Dallas has given up 8.0 kicker points per game, tied for the 10th-most in the league.
The Cardinals enter Week 9 on a five-game skid, but their offense has not been as bad as their record suggests. Arizona should benefit from Kyler Murray's return coming out of its bye week, which will only help Ryland's fantasy value.
Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks
Any fantasy football manager looking to find a last-minute kicker replacement needs to consider the Seattle Seahawks' Jason Myers. Myers has been a top-10 kicker in 2025, but is still not treated like one and is owned in fewer than 50 percent of most fantasy leagues.
The 11-year veteran with a subpar 76.5 percent field goal percentage, but he enters Week 9 having scored eight or more fantasy points in four of the Seahawks' last five games. He now faces the Washington Commanders, who are tied in allowing the 10th-most points per game to opposing kickers.
The Seahawks' run-heavy offense should be able to move the ball against the Commanders, who have struggled in that regard. Seattle runs the ball at the second-highest rate, spelling disaster for Washington, which has allowed the 10th-most rushing yards per game all season.
The Commanders will also benefit from having Jayden Daniels back in Week 9 after playing without him in Week 8. The potential back-and-forth offensive shootout benefits Myers as one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL.
