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While the 2025 NFL regular season is not here yet, fantasy football season is already in full swing. As the mock drafts of summer give way to the real deal of fall, millions of fantasy football players worldwide are looking for the best way to build their teams. While most previews focus on what sleepers to focus on snagging at running back, or why you shouldn't take a quarterback early, there are two positions that are often overlooked: defense/special teams and kicker.
Sometimes, those positions are the difference between a title win and a loss. The defense you're playing comes up with a timely interception return for a touchdown, or the special teams has a punt return score. Or your kicker has a game-winning 45-yard field goal, lifting his team and yours to victory. Knowing the best players to target at these positions can lead to a title win of your own.
There's one thing you'll notice with each of the kickers on this list: each one is expected to be a part of one of the league's most explosive offenses. Makes sense, right? After all, the more points an offense scores, the more opportunities a kicker will have at extra points. The better they are at moving the ball against an opposing defense, the chances their kickers will see at field goals will increase. So, it makes sense to start with the kicker from one of the NFC's best offenses: the Detroit Lions' Jake Bates.
1. Lions' Jake Bates top name among kickers this season
Let's address the elephant in the room: will the Lions' offense be as explosive and productive this season without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson? It's a fair question to ask. New offensive coordinator John Morton has worked with Detroit head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions in the past, as he was an assistant on the 2022 team.
Despite the OC change, all of the Lions' major pieces are back. Quarterback Jared Goff has a deep and explosive supporting cast, fronted by wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. As long as their offensive core stays healthy, this offense will score points. That means Bates will get plenty of looks in every game this season. After a rookie campaign in which he went 26-for-29 on field goals en route to scoring 142 points, it's certainly possible that Bates will eclipse the 150 point mark this season. Sounds like a kicker who should be considered as the top scoring player at his position in 2025, doesn't it?
2. Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey one of NFL's most powerful kickers
In a league where longer field goal attempts are being attempted with more regularity, it pays to have a kicker with a powerful leg. Take a look at Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Cam Little's 70-yard field goal he made last weekend. Or San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody's absolutely drilled 59-yarder to beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. It's clear that the kicking game is trending towards legs who can nail 50+ yard attempts with ease.
Luckily, the Dallas Cowboys have a weapon like that in Brandon Aubrey. Entering his third season in Dallas, the late bloomer proved his worth while at Notre Dame. He followed up a 157-point rookie season with a 150-point performance in year two. Now, he'll look to break into the 160-point platform. While Bates might have a better chance than Aubrey at getting there, don't doubt the powerful leg of the former Golden Domer. If Aubrey ends up being the league's top kicker, very few will be surprised.
3. Chase McLaughlin brings stability as Buccaneers' kicker
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have their third offensive coordinator in three years now at the helm (hello, Josh Grizzard), it's pretty safe to assume that their offense will be just as explosive as it has been in the recent past. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and a stacked set of weapons are all back at Raymond James Stadium. That includes Chase McLaughlin, who has become one of the NFL's top kickers during his Tampa tenure.
Kicker has long been a problematic issue for the Buccaneers. The weather can cause havoc at Raymond James. However, it looks as if McLaughlin has largely tamed this problem. He's only missed four kicks in two seasons with the Bucs, nailing a little over 93 percent of his field goal attempts. After 144 points last season, the 150-point mark is certainly a possibility with this offense. Will McLaughlin continue his rise up the kicking ranks in 2025?
4. Chargers' Cameron Dicker could take next step in 2025
Year two of the Jim Harbaugh era will likely bring an even stronger offensive attack in Los Angeles. The Chargers are looking to improve on their one-and-done playoff appearance in 2024, and quarterback Justin Herbert's health will play a big part in that. Veteran receiver Keenan Allen was brought back to the franchise after a one-year stint with the Chicago Bears. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman will continue to use both the run and pass games to complement each other to even greater lengths in 2025.
Due to the Chargers' offensive balance, it's clear that Cameron Dicker will likely be an even bigger weapon in 2025. The former Texas Longhorn attempted 42 field goals in 2024, nailing 39 of of them for a completion percentage of 92.9 percent. While that was the lowest mark in his career, Dicker has certainly earned his place among fantasy football's best kickers. Will that production continue this season? If Dicker and the Chargers have any say in it, then the kicker's powerful leg will have another impact campaign.
5. Jake Elliott made strong contribution to Eagles' title run
Entering his ninth season as the Philadelphia Eagles' placekicker, Elliott has become a beacon of consistency. Although his completion percentage of 77.8 percent was the second lowest of his career, the Eagles' trust in their kicker remains absolute. Elliott has already won two Super Bowls during his time with the team. Will 2025 end in a third title?
That is certainly the plan of Philadelphia's leadership. The Eagles will once again compete for a Lombardi Trophy, as long as they remain healthy. Philadelphia has a deep and talented team, primed for yet another playoff run. Elliott is sure to be in position once again for a few game-winning kicks. Will those kicks help spur the Eagles back into title contention? If so, then his place among the game's best kickers will remain steadfast.
6. Bills' Tyler Bass hopes to help boot squad into Super Bowl
For the past few seasons, the Buffalo Bills have gotten remarkably close to returning to the Super Bowl. Each time they get close though, the Kansas City Chiefs stand in their way. With a deep and talented team ready to get back to the heights of 2024 and more, it's clear that Bills kicker Tyler Bass will once again have a busy right leg.
The veteran has been Buffalo's kicker since being drafted by the team in 2020 out of Georgia Southern. While not as accurate as other kickers on this list, the 28-year-old has routinely nailed kicks when his team has needed them most. There's a pretty good chance that the Bills will need the leg of Bass to save them once again this season, at least once or twice. Will Bass continue to deliver wins for Buffalo, especially as the team seeks to break its Super Bowl drought? Don't be surprised if that scenario does indeed come to pass in 2025.
7. Harrison Butker still as reliable as ever for Chiefs
There are many reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs have been to three straight Super Bowls. Those reasons are also why the team won two Lombardi Trophies in a row before their loss this past February to the Eagles. Luckily for Kansas City, most of those reasons will be back in 2025. A deep offense that has now been complemented by a dangerous defense should help the Chiefs remain in Super Bowl contention. Of course, both units are backed by the reliability of their special teams, fronted by veteran kicker Harrison Butker.
Despite the fact that Butker his ninth season with the team, the former Georgia Tech standout has never broke the 150-point mark. The closest he has come was the 147 points he scored during Kansas City's first Super Bowl-winning season in 2019. Since then, he's dealt with injuries. There's also a chance that after 2026, he could no longer be with the Chiefs. However, if he stays healthy this season, don't be surprised to see him stake his claim once again as fantasy football's top kickers.
