Kickers are often the last roster option in fantasy football, but shrewd managers know that having a go-to fantasy football kicker strategy can provide maximum value at this often undervalued position.
There are many ways to go about this, one of which is mimicking the popular D/ST streaming approach. Using streaming kickers as a fantasy football strategy does require a bit of extra time and effort, but that effort can be worth it because getting a kicker who can post a double-digit point total every week can make the difference between winning and losing.
Why Streaming Kickers Can Give You an Edge
To get an idea of just how many points can be left on table at this position, consider that Chris Boswell, who led all fantasy kickers in fantasy points in 2024, had six games where he posted seven or fewer points. This shows the volatility of kicker scoring and details why most kickers, even those with a high fantasy football ADP, aren't worth taking early in fantasy drafts.
The key here is finding the best kickers to stream. In order to do this, you will want to pay close attention to the weekly fantasy football rankings and even look ahead to the following week to see if there are candidates worth stashing for a future start.
What to Look for in a Weekly Kicker Matchup
Here are some tips for what to look for when perusing NFL depth charts for weekly kicker matchups. One of the best places to start is by going for kickers who are going to play in indoor stadiums. Another is to review the over/under point totals and aim for kickers that are playing in lower-scoring games where field goals can account for most of the scoring.
For those who want to go even further into the pluses and minuses of potential waiver wire kickers, consider reviewing advanced statistics such as red zone efficiency and a team's offensive consistency. Teams that are inefficient in the red zone kick more field goals. You can find these types of statistics in the Reports page available through your RotoWire subscription.
How to Identify the Best Waiver Wire Kickers Each Week
Those statistical factors will have a big impact on custom fantasy football rankings, but you can take analysis a step beyond by diving into specific kicker scoring projections. You can do this on a weekly basis or for the rest of the season in the NFL ROS projections page at RotoWire.
Another factor to keep an eye on is injuries. You want to make sure that the kicker you are choosing isn't dealing with an injury, or that any key offensive player or even special teams contributor such as a long snapper or holder isn't hindered by a physical ailment. Going to the fantasy football news page at RotoWire can give you all of that information in an instant.
Season-Long Strategy for Streaming Kickers
Managing fantasy kickers during the season is much like navigating a fantasy football cheat sheet during the draft. The idea is to look for value plays that other managers aren't searching for. Since kicker is a position that most fantasy managers don't spend much time on, it is quite possible to find strong in-season fantasy sleepers at this position.
You can also take a general set-and-forget approach and then stream players during bye weeks, bad weather games or when your kicker's team faces a tough defense. Those in leagues with deeper benches can also go with a stashing approach that allows them to choose between two kickers each week.
