Fantasy Football Strategy Guide: When To Draft A Kicker And Defense

Learn the best fantasy football draft strategy for kickers and defenses, including why waiting until the final rounds and using streaming tactics can give you a championship edge.

Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) watches his field goal in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at AT&T Stadium. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

In almost every format of fantasy football, the golden rule is simple: wait until the final two rounds to draft your team defense and kicker — in that order. These are, hands down, the least predictable and arguably the least important positions in the fake football world.

Even if your league-mates start snatching defenses or kickers in the 10th round of a 16-round draft, resist the temptation to follow suit. Snag more valuable skill-position players while your competitors waste picks on positions that rarely make or break a championship season.

Fantasy Football Kicker Strategy

Take kickers, for example. In 2022, fantasy’s top kicker, Justin Tucker of the Ravens, outscored the No. 12 kicker, Riley Patterson of the Jaguars, by just 30 points. That’s a minuscule 1.7 points per game over a 17-week season. Is it worth burning a draft pick for that slight edge? Absolutely not. Instead, you could secure a sleeper who ends the season as a top-10 wide receiver or a high-upside backup running back, giving you depth in the event of an injury to an early-round selection. Even drafting the first kicker off the board offers no guarantees — predicting the top fantasy kicker is tricky, and sometimes luck plays a bigger role than talent.

A general view of the helmet of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) as he prepares on the sidelines in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Fantasy Football DEF/ST Strategy

Defenses are even trickier. The preseason top-projected defense almost never finishes as the highest-scoring unit. Over the past 25 years, no defense has led the league in back-to-back seasons. Fluke touchdowns, injuries, and surprise breakout plays often vault middling defenses into the top spot.

Consider the 2013 Seattle Seahawks. They dominated the regular season with 39 takeaways, 44 sacks, two safeties, and four defensive touchdowns, then steamrolled Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Entering 2014, they were the consensus top defense — yet they finished behind the Green Bay Packers, Rams, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and even the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia, widely dismissed in the preseason, led all defenses thanks to 11 defensive and special teams touchdowns, proving fantasy points don’t always follow projections.

Don’t waste an early pick on a defense or a kicker. Kickers offer razor-thin scoring margins, and defenses are wildly unpredictable.

Consider Streaming Kickers And Defenses

What if you wait until the final rounds and your defense flounders in the first few weeks? Enter: streaming. This strategy, favored by intermediate and advanced fantasy managers, involves picking up a new defense each week based on matchups against weak offenses. 

For example, in 2014, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense was a goldmine for opposing defenses — they allowed a league-high 71 sacks and the most fantasy points per game to defensive units, including six defensive touchdowns. If your drafted defense underperforms, simply grab the best available defense facing a struggling offense. This year, those struggling offenses might include the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws during pre game warmups before a game against against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | Jon Endow-Imagn Images

See a trend among the three teams listed above? They lack a superstar quarterback and by the end of the 2025 season, all three of those franchises could boast rookie signal-callers (Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart, and Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel). Targeting a defense against a rookie quarterback with a lack of weapons is always a sound strategy. 

Streaming works for kickers too. If your kicker’s team can’t score, pick up a kicker from a higher-powered offense with a favorable matchup against a weak defense.

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This strategy isn’t just theory — it works. Drafting the top projected defense in the ninth round and the top kicker in the 10th round is a fast track to regret. Not only does it waste valuable picks, but it also signals to your league-mates that you’re vulnerable — and they’ll exploit that with lopsided trades.

Be patient. Wait until the last two rounds for your defense and kicker (or don't draft them entirely and pick them up before Week 1). Manage the rest of your draft wisely, stay active during the season, and you could be hoisting that championship trophy before anyone else even realizes what hit them.