3 Kickers to Stream for Fantasy Football in NFL Week 1

Kickers aren't part of every fantasy league, but if they're used in yours, you shouldn't gloss over the position. Fantasy points are fantasy points, and hitting on a high-scoring week from a kicker can help you win your matchup.

Streaming the position might be the best way to go about it, and if that's the strategy you're deploying, this weekly article should be handy for you.

Here are three kickers you can stream this week.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Kickers to Stream for Week 1

Matt Gay, Commanders

Matchup: vs. Giants

Typically, we're not looking for players to stream in Week 1, but kickers tend to be an afterthought in drafts, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't give it much thought and just clicked the top name of your site's default rankings. After all, researching kickers is hardly top of mind during the offseason.

If that's the case, it can't hurt to see if there's an upgrade on the waiver wire as we quickly approach the NFL season opener. Every edge helps, and even streaming those lowly kickers can improve your chances of weekly victory.

We'll begin with Matt Gay, who will open the year as the Washington Commanders' placekicker. Gay is coming off a mediocre campaign with the Indianapolis Colts where he hit 83.8% of his field goals, which was a hair below league average (84.0%). Ultimately, he finished as the K14 in total fantasy points.

But kicking behind a Commanders offense that's expected to score a lot of points should give Gay plenty of kicking opportunities. Washington scored the fifth-most points and attempted the fourth-most field goals in 2024, and their primary kicker, Austin Seibert, averaged a league-high 12.8 fantasy points per game when healthy. This offseason, our Jim Sannes projected the Commanders to score the sixth-most points in 2025.

Seibert hit 27-of-30 field goals (90.0%) last season, so Gay will need to up his accuracy to maximize his potential. The good news is Gay nailed over 93% of his FGs across two full seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 2021-22. He finished as the K5 in one of those campaigns, so there's some history we can lean on.

This is the right matchup for Gay to open the season with a big game, too. The Commanders are favored by nearly a touchdown at home against the New York Giants, and their 25.5-point implied team total is one of the best marks in Week 1.

Cam Little, Jaguars

Matchup: vs. Panthers

Cam Little might not be on your waiver wire after hitting a 70-yard field goal this preseason, but he's rostered in only 33% of Yahoo! formats and gets a plus matchup versus the Carolina Panthers this week. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3.5-point home favorites over Carolina with an appealing 25.0 implied team total.

As a rookie, Little didn't move the needle in fantasy football last season, but that had more to do with a Jaguars team that won just four games and ranked 26th in both total points and field goal attempts. He was nearly automatic with those limited opportunities, hitting 27-of-29 field goals and going a perfect 27-for-27 on his extra points. His 93.1% FG percentage ranked fifth among kickers who played in double-digit games in 2024.

Well, if he can keep hitting his kicks at that high a clip, he should have a far bigger fantasy impact for a team that's expected to be much better on offense this year. Between a healthy Trevor Lawrence, a new coaching staff led by offensive-minded Liam Coen, and a potent young receiving duo (Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter), this team should see a sizable bump in points and FG attempts.

Perhaps that leads to Little having some long-term value in 2025, but at the very least, his outlook is rosy in Week 1 against a Panthers team that finished last season ranked 32nd in schedule-adjusted defense.

Chad Ryland, Cardinals

Matchup: at Saints

Even if you're in a really deep league, there's a very, very good chance Chad Ryland is still out there, as he's rostered in a mere 1% of both Yahoo! and ESPN formats.

Ryland bounced back from a disastrous 2023 rookie campaign with the New England Patriots by eventually landing with the Arizona Cardinals and posting an 87.5% FG percentage over 13 weeks. He averaged 9.6 fantasy points per game, which was a top-10 mark at the position.

While it came in pre-game warmups, Ryland wowed with a 72-yard kick in Denver this preseason, so he's another guy with a big leg, too.

The Cardinals will be on the road, but they're 6.5-point road favorites over the New Orleans Saints and will be playing in a dome. Arizona had an above-average offense last season and shouldn't have any trouble putting up points against what's expected to be one of the league's worst teams in 2025.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.