3 Kickers to start and 3 kickers to fade in Week 3 fantasy football

The right kicker can add anywhere from 10-15 points to your weekly fantasy score. Those aren’t numbers you can afford to overlook, especially with injuries to key skill players piling up and leaving us guessing about their replacements. In other words, choosing the right kicker in these difficult times could be enough to put you over the top.

Kickers to start

Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens

Butker might have been the best player on the field not named Patrick Mahomes in KC’s comeback win over the Chargers last week, putting his team over the top with a 58-yarder in overtime. This week’s contest should be a high-scoring affair given how well these two offenses can move the ball, and on top of the extra points to kick, he should be good for a couple field goals as well.

Michael Badgley, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers

In two games, Carolina has allowed each opposing kicker the opportunity to boot four extra points a game, which makes a nice floor. Overall, the Panthers are allowing an average of 8.5 points per game to kickers. Moving the ball doesn’t seem like a problem for Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert, which means Badgley should also have the chance to add a couple three-pointers to the tally.

Randy Bullock, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles offense is sinking fast, making this game a fairly even matchup. The total score might not be a big one, but the Bengals offense can do just enough to make their kicker the leading scorer in this game.

Kickers to fade

Dan Bailey, Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans

Once a brand name among kickers, Bailey’s got just two field goals and one extra point this season. The Vikings offense isn’t helping him much either, and that’s going to be especially difficult against the Titans this week, a team that’s allowed a grand total of eight points (and just one field goal) this season.

Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston’s probably not going to be in a position where they can compete by kicking field goals against the Steelers. Making the outlook even worse for Fairbairn and the Texans is the fact that Pittsburgh’s defense is tough as nails this season, making it hard even to get into reasonable field goal range.

Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Take away Christian McCaffery, who’s now on injured reserve, and it’s safe to say that the Panthers are going to have serious problems moving the football this week, and the Chargers defense isn’t one to sneeze at either. Slye’s value is going to take a hit for a while.