Eddy Pineiro and 2 Others Must-Start Kickers in Week 7 Fantasy Football
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The best detectives in the world have a neat ability to analyze every single factor necessary to gain the final result. The same goes for any abstract question. Our question is that of start 'em, sit 'em decisions in fantasy football. Silly, I know, but true. We are working with kickers this week. We are upping our game this week. Our five key factors are: Red Zone Conversion Rate, 4th Down Go-for Rate, Kicker Accuracy, Weather, and Implied Totals. If any kickers aces this test, they are a must-start.
Eddy Pineiro (vs ATL)
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 7 Ranking: K7
The 49ers got rid of Jake Moody and Pineiro has been the perfect replacement, literally. Pineiro is 15/15 this year and 7/7 of XPM. Last year he played for the Panthers and was a average 85% accurate. I would deem him a safer kicking play regarding accuracy.
At kickoff, the current weather forecast is low 60's and 8-12 mph winds — elevated but manageable. San Francisco is implied to score around 26 Points given the 2.5 Point Spread as favorites and a 47.5 Point total. They only convert at a 43% rate in the red zone — below average. As for their aggressiveness, Kyle Shanahan tends to be conservative, settling often for field goals. He aces our test and is very startable versus Atlanta.
Will Lutz (vs NYG)
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 7 Ranking: K18
Lutz also aces our test and it our best value play of the week. Lutz is only owned in 25% of leagues, but should be ranked with the best.
Lutz is 8/9 this season and was 31/34 in 2024. He has been reliable for years. They will play host to the Giants in Denver, at elevation, with a forecast of mid-60's and winds of 3-5 mph. This is perfect weather at elevation for extremely high output.
Sean Payton is a very conservative coach that went for it just 23% of the time on 4th down in 2024. Denver also ranks 12th in the NFL in red zone conversion rate, allowing them to have a respectable amount of field goal opportunities. They betting lines then show Denver as 6.5-Point favorites at a total of 40.5, implying them to score 23.5 Points.
Michael Badgley (@ LAC)
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 7 Ranking: K8
The Colts had Spencer Shrader as the best kicker in the NFL until he got hurt. They now add Badgley. His sample size is limited to just 1/1 FGM and 4/4 XPM. In his caeer, Badgley is 56/58 of field goals under 40 yards. He is 87% since 2021. Badgley should be reliable, especially with this game indoors at SoFi Stadium.
The Colts have a moderate 65% red zone conversion rate. Shane Steichen is a moderate go-for-it coach on 4th down. We should see opportunities to kick the ball. The Colts are 1.5-Point underdogs at a 48.5 point total. This implies them to score 23.5 Points.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.