Week 5 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is already here as we're set for another week of action and ever-changing dynamics within the league's landscape. The Kicker position in fantasy is arguably the most neglected lineup spot for obvious reasons, but securing an elite kicker could be the small boost for a fantasy team to get over the hump in any given week. With the first round of BYE weeks arriving, be sure to have your kicker slot ready to go in Week 5.
Aside from must-start players like Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey and Colts' Spencer Shrader, we'll be taking a look at the best starts of NFL Week 5 and which kickers you can leave on your bench.
Week 4 Kickers – Start ‘Em
This Week's Top-5 Kicker Starts:
- Brandon Aubrey, DAL (@NYJ)
- Spencer Shrader, IND (LV)
- Cameron Dicker, LAC (WAS)
- Matt Prater, BUF (NE)
- Jake Bates, DET (@CIN)
Joshua Karty, LAR (SF)
On Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Rams are favored by two field goals at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers will be dealing with a host of injuries heading into the short week, while the Rams are looking to continue their high-powered attack on offense. Karty is 10th in the NFL in points (36) and has hit his only attempts beyond 50 yards. While he may not get many attempts from deep down the field, the Rams' offense will keep him valuable with all the extra-point tries. The 49ers bend-don't-break style of defense could also open the floor for conversions.
Jake Elliott, PHI (DEN)
The Philadelphia Eagles are looking like one of the best football teams we've seen in recent memory, winning an astonishing 20 games over their last 21, including Super Bowl LIX. Jake Elliott has been the franchise's trusty kicker since 2017 and through the first four weeks of this season, is 100% from both FG and XP range.
Elliot is also 3-3 from 50+ so far and while he's not getting a ton of opportunities thanks to the Eagles' unstoppable offense, he's always good for a few attempts when they're in a close game. Against one of the best defensive units in all of football, the Eagles could struggles at points against Denver, leading for an increase in attempts from Elliott. In a matchup like this, roll with the defending Super Bowl champ kicker.
Eddy Pineiro, SF (@LAR)
The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a whole slate of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Brock Purdy is still dealing with a lagging injury, receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings both went down with injuries and don't look promising, and George Kittle remains on IR. On top of all this, the 49ers will have a short week as they face the Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Still, given they have the best offensive player in football in Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers are bound to move the ball downfield and into kicking range. We can expect this Rams defense to hold strong on third downs, so expect Pineiro to see an increase in opportunities during this game.
Week 5 Kickers – Sit ‘Em
Cam Little, JAX (KC)
While Cam Little started the fantasy season with big totals of 15.0 and 10.0 points, he's dropped off in the most recent two games and hasn't surpassed 10.0 once again. He's rostered in 49.4% of ESPN fantasy leagues, but the Jaguars will face the Kansas City Chiefs this week where they're likely to be trailing and taking chances on fourth down.
Furthermore, the Chiefs rank 11th in fewest average fantasy points allowed to kickers (7.00) and their defense was just able to perplex the Baltimore Ravens. Look for another dominant performance from the Chiefs where scoring may be at a premium for the Jaguars.
Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU (@BAL)
The Baltimore Ravens have to be furious following consecutive losses to the Chiefs and Lions where they truly haven't looked like themselves. To add, Lamar Jackson suffered an injury in their last game, along with a number of other key players like Marlon Humphrey also going down. The Texans' offense looked much improved during their last win, but this Ravens' defense will have a number of players stepping into starting positions looking to make an immediate impact.
Additionally, with Lamar Jackson hobbled, the Ravens will rely heavily on Derrick Henry to salt away the clock and keep the Texans' defense on the field. Fairbairn has been consistent for fantasy managers for the most part this season, but his activity could be limited in this game due to the Baltimore Ravens trying to make a statement at home.
