Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Week 5 Kickers
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at the NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Alvin Kamara will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system.
Be sure to check out my Week 5 PPR rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions or if your league has special scoring rules, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings. Members also get access to myself and our team of high-stakes winners all week long to answer your specific fantasy questions.
Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES
MORE: Week 5 Rankings, Articles, Reports & Tools Hub
Week 5 Start 'Em: Kickers
Byes: Lions, Packers
Start of the Week
Zane Gonzalez at Jets
Gonzalez is coming off a real stinker, scoring just three fantasy points in a loss to the Panthers. I'd ride with him this week though, as the Cardinals will face the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Their defense has allowed eight field goals and 15 extra points, tied for an NFL high. Kickers have averaged 10.8 points per game against the Men in Green, which is tied for the third-most after four weeks.
Start ‘Em
Jason Myers vs. Vikings
Myers broke out of a statistical funk last week, scoring nine points in a win over the Dolphins. He’s made just two field goals (two attempts) thus far, but an upcoming matchup against the Vikings makes him a worthwhile streamer. Minnesota has allowed a league-high 15 field-goal attempts, all converted, and enemy kickers have averaged 15.8 fantasy points against them. That’s the most in the NFL.
Ka'imi Fairbairn vs. Jaguars
Listed as a start 'em last week, Fairbairn made good on a nice matchup with 13 fantasy points in a loss to the Vikings. He has another favorable matchup this week as the Texans host the Jaguars. After four weeks, Jacksonville has surrendered nine field-goal conversions, 12 extra points and an average of more than 10 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. I'd ride Fairbairn for one more week.
More Starts
- Michael Badgley at Saints (MNF)
- Nick Folk vs. Broncos (COVID-19)
Sleepers
- Graham Gano at Cowboys
- Aldrick Rosas at Texans
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Week 5 Sit 'Em: Kickers
Sit of the Week
Jake Elliott at Steelers
Elliott has had a tough start to the season, at least in fantasy terms, scoring seven or fewer fantasy points in three of his first four games. That trend figures to continue in Week 5, as the Eagles travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Their defense has allowed just 4.7 fantasy points per game to kickers in their first three games, and the position has averaged a mere 5.3 points at Heinz Field since 2019.
Sit ‘Em
Randy Bullock at Ravens
Bullock has been on an absolute fantasy tear, scoring at least 11 points in each of his last three games, including a season-high 15 points last week against the Jaguars. So while it’s tough to sit him while he’s on such a hot streak, a matchup versus the Ravens is anything but favorable on paper. Their defense has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points (4.8 PPG) to kickers this season, and no team has surrendered fewer points to the position at home since 2019. Buyer beware.
Brandon McManus at Patriots
McManus is coming off a monster stat line, scoring 17 fantasy points in a win over the Jets. Of course, that was also two more points than he had scored in his previous three games combined. I wouldn’t chase the points, as the veteran next faces a New England defense that’s allowed an average of just 5.8 points per game to kickers at Foxboro since the start of last season. In 2020, the Patriots are tied for the eighth-fewest fantasy points (6.0 PPG) surrendered to kickers overall.
More Sits
- Tyler Bass at Titans (COVID-19)
- Jason Sanders at 49ers
Busts
- Chris Boswell vs. Eagles
- Daniel Carlson at Chiefs
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news and analysis!
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