Getty Robbie Gould of the San Francisco 49ers
Welcome to Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 10 of the NFL season. Our kicker edition features a 15-year mainstay dealing with an injury that may strip him from our fantasy lineups this coming week.
* Reminder: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is intended to present you with the non-obvious choices for your fantasy lineup. We dig deep into player matchups, scoring trends, and other factors to best help you with your fantasy decisions. Be sure to also check out our weekly fantasy football kicker rankings to better gauge where these start-sit options compare to the rest of the options at the position.
Start-Sit [ QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]
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Kickers: Start ‘Em
Start of the Week: Zane Gonzalez at TB
Gonzalez saw his four-game run of double-digit fantasy performances come to an end this past week. However, he still ranks as the second-highest scoring fantasy kicker on the season. Tampa Bay allows a league-high 11.3 fantasy points to opposing kickers this season. Gonzalez has hit two 40+ yard field goals over his last three games. Kickers to hit at least one kick of such distance against the Bucs this season have all eclipsed 11 fantasy points.
Adam Vinatieri vs. MIA
Yes, Vinatieri missed another field goal last week, yes he’s scored just four points in two of the last three games, and yes he’s likely on his last leg. However, Miami has not allowed a kicker to score under 11 fantasy points against them over the past three weeks. Kickers have hit six 40-50+ yard field goals against the ‘Phins over that time span. Vinatieri is just one game removed from nailing three kicks of such distance on his way to a 14 point outing.
Sam Ficken vs. NYG
Ficken had done absolutely nothing from a fantasy perspective this season prior to his 13 point explosion a week ago. Those 13 points he scored matched his season’s grand total of fantasy points heading into the week. Ficken will look to keep the magic going against a Giants team that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to kickers this season, including an average of 11.3 points to the position over the last three weeks.
Sleeper: Chase McLaughlin vs. SEA
Incumbent starting kicker Robbie Gould is currently dealing with a quad injury that may keep him out of the 49ers lineup this coming Monday. As insurance, the team brought in former Chargers kicker Chase McLaughlin earlier this week. McLaughlin was solid, yet underwhelming with Los Angeles this season. He did, however, put up double-digit points in his second to last game with the team back in Week 7. Seattle has surrendered 12+ fantasy points to opposing kickers in three of their last six games.
Kickers: Sit ‘Em
Sit of the Week: Jason Myers at SF
Myers has now missed five of his 17 field goal attempts this season, and has scored an average of just six fantasy points in seven of his nine games this year. Things likely won’t get any easier for Myers in Week 10 vs. the 49ers. San Fran surrenders the third-fewest points to opposing kickers, with only one kicker scoring more than five points against them this year.
Austin Seibert vs. BUF
Seibert enjoyed a solid outing a week ago, however in the three games prior to Week 9 he had averaged just 4.3 fantasy points. Buffalo surrenders fewer than four points to opposing kickers on a per-game basis. Just one opponent has scored more than six points against them, and none have reached double-digits.
Buyers Beware: Matt Prater at CHI
Prater is still likely locking down a starting spot in the majority of fantasy leagues based on his ridiculous two-game, 36 point total, spanning from Week 4 through Week 6, with a bye sandwiched between it. However, since then he’s failed to score more than nine fantasy points in a single game and has averaged just 7.3 fantasy points. Chicago surrenders the fifth-fewest points to the kicker position this season, with only two players eclipsing seven fantasy points against them.
READ NEXT: Fantasy: Kicker Rankings Week 10