Chad Ryland and Tyler Loop Headline Week 9 Waiver Wire Kicker Pickups
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October drove some fantasy football owners nuts when it came for kickers. So, Week 9 has fewer options with four teams on a bye. Some higher-profile kickers get the week off as well. Combine that with injuries and some kicker uncertainty only add to fantasy anxiety.
While poking around the waiver wire, some owners are relieved that Puka Nacua is expected to be back in Week 9. Others are scrambling after the Cam Skattebo injury. Honestly, Tyrone Tracy is a downgrade at this point. Anyhow, it is time to let the kickers fly!
Note: Ownership percentages are from Yahoo and ESPN. Players rostered in greater than 60 percent of leagues will not get mentioned.
Chad Ryland - Arizona Cardinals
The problem with some kickers is again the lingering injury theory. See Brandon McManus and his quad. McManus looked woeful from distance against Pittsburgh suggesting that quad may not quite be 100%. Ryland gets to kick against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas allows points like it is going out of style (44 last week to Denver).
He looked much better against Green Bay and Indianapolis going a combined 5-for-5 with field goals. Also, Ryland has not missed an extra point all season. It will be intriguing to see what the Arizona offense looks like with the likely return of Kyler Murray. Murray missed time with a mid-foot sprain.
Dallas has allowed an average of four red zone trips a game so even with a high touchdown percentage, Ryland should have opportunities for chip shots along with one or two longer distance chances. Point potential is higher than projections suggest here with only a 1.1% roster ownership on ESPN.
Tyler Loop - Baltimore Ravens
So Loop is finding this rookie season thing not so bad for the Baltimore Ravens. The kicker is 12-for-13 with field goals and 18-for-19 on extra points. On Sunday, he booted three field goals for the first time in his career. Sure, the long was only 42 but that is okay. Add in three extra points and it might be a preview for this week. That is because of this.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he is "very confident" that Lamar Jackson will return to action on Thursday when the Ravens visit the Dolphins. "It was a great walk-through for him," Harbaugh said. "He looked excellent." More from @bsmolka: https://t.co/gTOOX3uvNb
— PressBox (@PressBoxOnline) October 28, 2025
Lamar Jackson helps any offense. Miami unexpectedly beat Atlanta last week but Baltimore with Jackson is a tough ask. He is a quarterback that literally can make a bad defense look worse. The good news for Loop owners is that he will get chances to maybe kick an extra field goal or two here. Some projections suggest another 30+ point effort from the Baltimore offense on Thursday night.
The game being in Miami does not hurt either with those warm conditions. Expect Loop's near 40% ownership to go up again.
Cairo Santos - Chicago Bears
Again, this seems risky but Santos looked okay after that lingering thigh injury in his return. He kicked three field goals, He did miss one 50+ yarder but that was 58 yards at the end of the first half. Chicago plays in Cincinnati where Santos figures to get some closer chances. The Cincinnati defense is next level bad. After allowing 502 yards to the New York Jets, Chicago should look better here.
The Bengals have yielded 37 chances for teams inside the red zone. Santos has to be happy with that and the early weather forecast looks cool but void of wind or adverse weather.
Prospective Note: Do keep an eye on other injury and kicker situations. Again with fewer kickers, decisions can come at a moment's notice which means fantasy football owners will be circling around the wire.
