Fantasy Football Kickers to Target in 2023 Drafts

It's a new year, but the same anti-kicker sentiment continues to rear its head all over social media. Many leagues around the globe still utilize kickers in seasonal formats and as per usual, I’m here to assist with draft prep so you can maximize your points from week to week because every single point matters when it comes to fantasy football.

By looking at various predictive categories for NFL offenses, we can get an idea of which kickers will be successful ahead of the 2023 season. I am someone who streams my kicker every week, so really only look to Week 1 when selecting my leg on draft day, but if you are looking for one guy to roll with for most of the season, I have you covered here.

The Fantasy Kicking Elite

Finding teams with high implied point totals and those that are favored (preferably at home) are ways to predict a kicker’s potential outcome from week to week. Since it’s too early to get implied team totals beyond Week 1—which we’ll get to later in this piece—I looked at every team’s weekly projections for the season to determine this top tier of legs.

^{* Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and 4for4's Betting Lines Tool}

The Chiefs are favored by more than five points in 8-of-17 games in 2023 and are not predicted to lose one single game at this point in the offseason. These projections include three contests with spreads of a touchdown or more creating plenty of kicking chances for Harrison Butker. If he stays healthy, the 27-year-old is a guy you can draft and leave in your lineups with confidence.

Philly features six games in 2023 where they are expected to win by more than five points with the Eagles only projected to lose one contest which is a Week 14 battle in KC. Jake Elliott gets to kick in four of those highly-projected games at Lincoln Financial Field, and three of the six matchups feature spreads of a touchdown or more.

There are four kickers on teams this season boasting spreads over five points in five of their 17 games. Buffalo is taking a step back from last year’s insanely high projections but is still predicted to win 12-of-17 tilts, with three of those spreads landing as a touchdown or more. Tyler Bass is always in the elite conversation and 2023 is no different.

Speaking of always elite, Justin Tucker’s team also has five games where the Ravens are predicted to win by more than five points. Baltimore is projected victors in seven of their nine home games, with the only two losses listed as pick ’ems in Weeks 11 and 17 against the Bengals and Dolphins, respectively. Tucker is one of a handful of kickers you can always fire up for the long haul.

Cincy currently boasts four spreads over a touchdown this season with projected wins in all nine of their contests at home. Evan McPherson has a powerful leg and should be a top-level kicker again in 2023 after a disappointing K17 finish last year.

Honorable Mention: Jake Moody, 49ers - Out goes Robbie Gould, and in comes the rookie to kick in Kyle Shanahan’s field-goal-happy offense. The 49ers currently have just one projected loss on their schedule which is a Week 13 trip to Philadelphia, with five 2023 contests boasting spreads over five points. Moody is a solid prospect, nabbing the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s top college kicker in 2021, and while it’s tough to go all in on a newbie, the 23-year-old finds himself in an ideal situation for kicker love right away.

Solid, Dependable Choices

This next tier is full of kickers who may not be on the highest-performing offenses in the NFL but still manage to put up quality numbers throughout the season. These are solid weekly starts if you’re not wanting to stream the position, but don’t want to waste anything but a last-round pick on a kicker.

Jason Myers is armed with a fresh four-year contract and is coming off a K1 performance last year in total fantasy points (143) and a K2 campaign in fantasy points per contest (8.4). There is plenty of firepower in the Seattle offense to put those points on the board, with the team favored in nine contests.

The one guy who continues to defy the process, Daniel Carlson, will likely be at it again in 2023. Despite the chaos and disarray the Raiders have projected in recent years, Carlson has finished as the K1, K1, and K3 over the last three seasons. Vegas plays in a tough division and are only predicted to win four contests, but we have to respect whatever it is that makes Daniel Carlson continue to produce fantasy goodness.

Miami is projected to win 11-of-17 games this year which bodes well for Jason Sanders. The six-year Dolphin is coming off a year where he put up starting kicker numbers and is on an offense with a plethora of explosive weapons. Sanders is 4for4’s K7 heading into the season and with a later Week 10 bye, is someone you should feel comfortable having in your lineup weekly.

Brandon McManus won’t have the altitude advantage anymore, but he’s in a great spot for success down in Jacksonville. The Jags play in arguably the worst division in the NFL and are projected to win all six AFC South contests, with nine overall predicted victories. The former Bronco should be a staple in the starting kicker column in 2023.

Usually making my streaming list for a good portion of the season, Greg Joseph is another kicker who could serve as your guy if you want to set him and forget him. The Vikings are predicted to win 10 games in 2023 and do play in a dome which can be a plus for fantasy purposes. Joseph, 4for4’s eighth-ranked leg, re-signed with Minnesota this offseason on a one-year deal and should at least equal his K13 finish from 2022.

Week 1 Streamers

As I mentioned above, I prefer to stream my kickers from week to week, so I usually draft based on Week 1 matchups, and always in the final round. Since the odds for the first week of the 2023 season are already out, I figured I’d share my top picks for those who choose the same approach.

You won't find the elite names here since they’ll be drafted, and most likely too early at that.

Jason Myers (Seahawks) vs. Rams

Myers may be drafted before you get a chance in the final round, but he does have a great kickoff to the 2023 season. Seattle is favored by six at home against LA, with the third-highest implied team total of the week currently set at 26.25 points.

Greg Joseph (Vikings) vs. Buccaneers

The Vikings are 6.5-point home favorites in Week 1 against Tampa Bay with a hearty implied team total of 26. They do head to Philly right after as six-point road dogs, so take that into consideration if you’re truly streaming the kicker position.

Cameron Dicker (Chargers) vs. Dolphins

I rarely miss a Dicker the Kicker reference opportunity and I’m starting us off early this year. The Chargers open 2023 as 2.5-point favorites at home against Miami, with an implied team total of 26.25 and a whopping 50-point over/under on the tilt. Keep an eye on the competition heading into draft season, however, as Dustin Hopkins could steal back his job during training camp and/or the preseason.

Tristin Vizcaino or Other (Cowboys) @ Giants

Dallas kicks off the 2023 season in New York as three-point favorites against the Giants. They are projected to post 25 points in the win, with the game total currently a meaty 48 points. Tristan Vizcaino is the only kicker currently on their roster after waiving Brett Maher, but, likely, that won't be the case for long. The Cowboys are also favored to win the next three contests, so you could draft Vizcaino or whoever they decide to bring in to compete and ride with that Dallas leg for several weeks.