Week 6 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is here as fantasy managers continue to feel the rollercoaster of emotions at the quarter-mark of the season. The year has been filled with injuries and upsets, only balanced out by the highs of close fantasy football matchups. In a peculiar season like this, taking advantage and maximizing production at the kicker position could be the difference in week-to-week fantasy matchups.
Aside from must-start players like Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey and Chargers' Cameron Dicker, we'll be taking a look at the best starts of NFL Week 6 and which kickers you can leave on your bench.
BYE Weeks: Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings
Week 6 Kickers – Start ‘Em
This week's Top-5 Kickers: Must Start
- Brandon Aubrey, DAL (@CAR)
- Cameron Dicker, LAC (@MIA)
- Will Lutz, DEN (NYJ)
- Jake Elliott, PHI (@NYG)
- Joshua Karty, LAR (@BAL)
Chase McLaughlin, TB (SF)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may just be one of the league's most electric teams and quarterback Baker Mayfield shows no signs of slowing down in terms of slinging the ball. The Buccaneers have the seventh-highest scoring offense in the league (27.0 pts/game) and they've attempted the second-most field goals (15) among all teams this season. The 49ers have allowed at least 20 points in their last two games and with Mac Jones under center, we could have the potential for another high-scoring shootout in this one.
While the San Francisco 49ers have only allowed a total of 30.0 fantasy points to kickers through their first five games, expect the Buccaneers to have ample opportunities on the other side of the field. Given the “bend don't break” attitude of the 49ers' defense, this should result in field goal tries for McLaughlin. As long as this offense is humming the way it us, managers can confidently start him moving forward.
Jake Bates, DET (@KC)
As long as the Detroit Lions continue to lead the NFL in scoring at 34.8 pts/game, kicker Jake Bates will continue to remain a must-start kicker and in the discussion to finish top-10 by season's end. He's already attempted, and made, all 22 of his extra-point tries on the season, showing off that he also have the range to hit from beyond 50 yards. While he may not get many tries downfield behind aggressive play calling from Dan Campbell, he's still extremely reliable and should remain relevant so long the Lions' offense is scoring.
Furthermore, the Lions will face the Chiefs, Bucs, Commanders, and Eagles over their next five games, all capable defenses that could cause this Detroit offense to see some regression. Don't be surprised if this immediately translates to increased production from Jake Bates deep down field.
Brandon McManus, GB (CIN)
Some outlets have Green Bay Packers' Brandon McManus ranked as high at No. 8 coming into this week as the Packers take on one of the worst teams in the league at the moment in the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers have faced tough opponents up to this point, causing them to be aggressive on fourth downs in close games. They face the Bengals, Cardinals, Steelers, and Panthers in their next four games where they should be billed as the betting favorites. Expect McManus to see a slight boost in his fantasy production as the Packers' offense has a chance to score some points in the coming weeks.
Week 6 Kickers – Sit ‘Em
Tyler Loop, BAL (LAR)
The Baltimore Ravens were just embarrassed by the Houston Texans 44-10 and looked in complete disarray without quarterback Lamar Jackson leading them. To make matters worse, rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed from 50+ in an all-around bad game for the Ravens. With Lamar Jackson remaining ‘questionable' for the time being, there's no way to trust this offense in effectively moving the ball down field or getting into kicking range. Until there's more clarity on Lamar Jackson's return, be wary of Loop and the limited ceiling of this current offense.
Chris Boswell, PIT (CLE)
While the Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a noticeable offensive leap behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers, this matchup against the Cleveland Browns has all the makings of a classic low-scoring affair between the two rivals. The Browns currently sport one of the best defensive units in the league and have kept teams like the Green Bay Packers and the Bengals with Joe Burrow in-check. This isn't as much a fade of Boswell as it is a prediction for this to be a low-scoring game. The projected point total stands at 38.5, the lowest out of any Week 6 NFL game. Stray away if you can find other options on the waiver wire.
