Week 13 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is already here as manager brace for the impending fantasy playoffs right around the corner. As fantasy teams in the hunt begin to make their final adjustments, the Kicker position will once again be highlighted through another wild week of football action.
A number of kickers were in the spotlight during Week 12, one of which was Chiefs' Harrison Butker kicking the game-winner against the Colts in overtime. Lions' Jake Bates hit from 59 yards to force overtime which his team later won and Jaguars' Cam Little sealed Jacksonville's win in overtime against the Cardinals.
Aside from top-ranked options like Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey and Seahawks' Jason Myers, we'll take a look a which kickers are worth starting and who can remain on the bench in Week 13.
Week 13 Fantasy Kickers – Start ‘Em
This Week's Top-5 Kicker Starts:
- Jason Myers, SEA (vs. MIN)
- Tyler Loop, BAL (vs. CIN)
- Brandon Aubrey, DAL (vs. KC)
- Cameron Dicker, LAC (vs. LV)
- Cam Little, JAX (@TEN)
Chase McLaughlin, TB (vs. ARI)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seen a hellish last three weeks in having to face the Patriots, Bills, and Rams all in succession. Aside from an offensive dud last week against the Rams, McLaughlin has remained rather busy with five field attempts (five made) in the previous three games. He's also scored 12.0 or more fantasy points in four games this season, including a 20-point game in Week 3.
The Bucs' schedule opens up the next four weeks with games against the Cardinals, Saints, and Panthers. RB Bucky Irving is returning from injury and although Baker Mayfield is dealing with an injury of his own, McLaughlin and this offense should see a ton of opportunities to score some points in the coming weeks.
Jake Bates, DET (vs. GB)
Jake Bates had a massive Week 12 as he hit from 59 yards to force overtime against the New York Giants. The kick was crucial as Detroit went on to win the game and we could see Bates attempting some long field goal tries from the comfort inside of Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day.
With how great this Packers' defense has been all year, don't be surprised if the Lions stall on some of their drives. Instead of being aggressive and going for fourth downs, I can see the Lions' trusting Bates more during this game and cashing-in on his chances to not leave points on the board. Roll with Bates as a solid kicking option for this week.
Matt Prater, BUF (@PIT)
The Buffalo Bills have to be unsatisfied with the last three weeks as they've gone 1-2 with losses to Miami and Houston, both games they were favored to win. Josh Allen and his team are bound to come into this game looking to prove a point to themselves and come away with a win, so expect Buffalo to be very aggressive in scoring points.
Through the woes, Matt Prater has turned in 8.0 fantasy points in the last two weeks, matching up against a Steelers team allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to kickers (9.2 avg.) in the NFL. Look for Prater to get a number of looks downfield in this one.
Week 13 Fantasy Kickers – Sit ‘Em
Michael Badgley, IND (vs. HOU)
Michael Badgley stepped into his starting role in Week 6 following an injury to Spencer Shrader, who was fantasy's No. 1 kicker at the time. This is all thanks to the Colts' high-powered offense behind Jonathan Taylor and Badgley has certainly reaped the rewards, scoring 6.0 or more points in each of his subsequent six games.
However, following a tough loss against the Colts, Badgley will be faced with the NFL's best defense against opposing kickers, allowing just 5.1 fantasy points on average per week. To add, this will be a competitive AFC South divisional game that could be low-scoring in nature, so downgrade Badgley this week as a result.
Will Reichard, MIN (@SEA)
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into one of football's toughest environments against arguably the league's best defense at the moment, so the Seattle Seahawks have all the advantages in this matchup. Furthermore, QB JJ McCarthy is dealing with a head injury and could put this offense at risk if he's unable to play.
Kicker Will Reichard has been able to remain wildly consistent throughout the offensive inconsistencies of the Vikings this season, but he's met with a particularly poor matchup against the Seahawks, allowing the third-fewest average points to kickers at 5.7. With the Seahawks favored by 11.5 points on the betting lines, we advise staying away from the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.
