Andre Szmyt and Nick Folk Highlight Kickers to Sit in Fantasy Football Week 3
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September weather concerns start to rear their ugly head. Do not be fooled by the early forecasts in Cleveland and Tampa Bay. Thunderstorms are at least a possibility. Also, add in that teams like Cleveland and the New York Jets may have lower field goal potential. If that was not enough, kickers tend to not perform so well against Green Bay and Tampa Bay.
It is intriging to look back at the Week 1 kicker rankings after most fantasy football drafts took place. Two of the three bottom kickers among our "starting 32" are on our list for Week 3. Maybe, there is a reason for this after all.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Kickers To Bench Err Sit
Nick Folk (New York Jets)
The uncertainty of the New York Jets offense is a scary proposition for Week 3. With Justin Fields in concussion protocol, there is a chance that Tyrod Taylor starts. Kickers often perform slightly below average against Tampa Bay. Also, the game is in Florida which opens up the possibility for thunderstorms. Currently, that chance is 50/50.
Folk has been far from awful this season but he had two chances to get on the field against Buffalo and the same prospects could be there this Sunday. This is one of those decisions to err on the side of caution. Most projected consensus numbers suggest around 6-6.5 points for Folk. That is worth a pass.
Andre Szmyt (Cleveland Browns)
Szmyt, to his credit, had a solid Week 2 compared to that first week jitters everyone saw on national television.
Love it. Former Syracuse football All-American kicker Andre Szmyt just knocked through a 38-yard field goal for the Browns, who trail Baltimore on the road in the second quarter, 10-3. Andre struggled some in week one. Glad to see him connect on that first try this afternoon. 🍊
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) September 14, 2025
Range is still a concern for Szmyt and the kicking game for the Browns. Green Bay is one of those teams that is a buzzkill for kicker fantasy points. Again, the weather is going all over the place. Projections suggest breezy conditions at a minimum in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. It is a kicker's worst nightmare.
This is why Brandon McManus was on the radar to watch. McManus has some issues in the wind and if it does rain, then look out and look elsewhere!
Blake Grupe (New Orleans Saints)
This appears to be a final case with not many chances for Grupe and the New Orleans kicking game. Grupe was on thin ice after missing a short field goal in Week 1. He compounded his issues by missing a 40-yard attempt against San Francisco.
Kellen Moore on #Saints K Blake Grupe: He's just got to get back, he'll be fine. There's too much good in the sample size I've experienced with him to have concerns. He had an awesome camp, offseason & preseason... He's gonna be just fine and I have all the confidence in him.
— Tina Howell (@TinaHowellNOLA) September 15, 2025
The question becomes how long does this assessment last? We saw in San Francisco and Atlanta how quick the hook can be. If this feels like Deja Vu, it should. Fall is approaching and the leaves change much like the fortunes of coaches and kickers. It truly is a love and hate relationship for fantasy owners too.
Other Kickers To Potentially Sit
- Ryan Fitzgerald (Carolina) - Lack of chances from Carolina offense a red flag
- Joshua Karty (Los Angeles Rams) - Philadelphia could shut things down Sunday
- Will Lutz (Denver) - This may surprise but Lutz missed an easy attempt in Week 2.
