Streaming Kickers and D/STs for Week 6
Analysis 10/12/22
Don’t look now, but bye weeks are upon us. That makes it more likely you’re streaming kickers and D/STs in Week 6.
Teams on a Bye: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
As a reminder, eligible kickers and defenses for this column must not be rostered in more than 50% of leagues, per FantasyPros’ rostership data. Following these guidelines doesn’t hurt, either.
Best Traits to Look For Streaming Kickers
- Potentially high-scoring matchups
- Teams with good, but not great, red-zone efficiency
- Domes/good weather
Best Traits to Look For Streaming D/STs
- Potentially low-scoring matchups
- Slow-paced offenses
- Turnover-prone quarterbacks
- Bad weather
Kickers to Stream in Week 6
Dustin Hopkins/Taylor Bertolet vs. Denver
Note: Hopkins no longer carries an injury designation for the game.
- Both rostered in fewer than 14% of leagues
- Hopkins missed Week 5 with a quad injury
- Hopkins scored 10 fantasy points in Week 4
- Bertolet scored 12 fantasy points in Week 5
- The Broncos have allowed the third-most fantasy points to kickers this season
- Vegas projects the Chargers to score more than 25 points: Implied Total - 25.25 points
- That’s currently the seventh-highest total this week
- The Chargers are averaging the ninth-most points per game this season
- The Broncos are allowing the fourth-fewest points per game this season
- This could be a stalemate decided by kickers
Jake Elliott/Cameron Dicker vs. Dallas
Note: Elliott no longer carries an injury designation for the game.
- Both rostered in fewer than 15.7% of leagues
- Elliott missed Week 5 with an ankle injury
- Dicker scored 9 points in Elliott’s place
- Dallas allowed 13+ fantasy points to kickers in each of the first weeks
- Vegas projects the Eagles to score more than 23 points: Implied Total - 23.75 points
- That’s currently the 12th-highest total this week
- The Eagles are averaging the third-most points per game
- The Cowboys are allowing the third-fewest points per game
- The Cowboys are also allowing the fourth-most field goal attempts per game
- While I expect the Eagles to win, I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is closer than people think
Cairo Santos vs. Commanders
- Rostered in 1% of leagues
- Santos has scored 29 fantasy points over the last two weeks
- Commanders have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to kickers this season
- They’ve also allowed 11+ fantasy points to kickers three times this season
- Vegas projects a close, yet low-scoring game: Bears -1, O/U 38
- The Bears’ slow offense could mean more failed red-zone trips, which can lead to more field goals
- The Bears are among the teams with the fifth-most field goal attempts per game
- The Commanders are allowing the fifth-most points per game
Jason Myers vs. Arizona
- Rostered in 2.7% of leagues
- Myers has scored 10+ fantasy points in each of the last three games
- In that span, Myers is 7-for-8 in field goals
- He’s also made at least two field goals in each of those three games
- The Cardinals have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to kickers this season
- The Seahawks are averaging the seventh-most points per game
- The Cardinals are allowing the eighth-most points per game
- Vegas projects a high-scoring game: O/U 50.5
D/STs to Stream in Week 6
Panthers D/ST at Rams
- Rostered in 3.1% of leagues
- Panthers D/ST is 13th in fantasy points
- The Rams have shockingly allowed the most points to opposing D/STs
- Seriously, look at how many points these D/STs have scored against them, in order:
- Bills: 18
- Falcons: 16
- Cardinals: 3
- 49ers: 22
- Cowboys: 22
- For context, the Panthers ironically have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs...by 30 points fewer than the Rams
- Only the Saints have more giveaways per game than the Rams
- Matthew Stafford is tied for the most interceptions thrown
Jaguars D/ST at Colts
- Rostered in 35.3% of leagues
- Jaguars D/ST is seventh in fantasy points
- No team has averaged fewer points per game than the Colts
- The Colts have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs this season
- That includes 0 points to Houston in Week 1
- More importantly, that also includes 9+ points in every game since
- The Colts have turned the ball over at least twice in all but Week 3
- The Jaguars are averaging the third-most takeaways this season
- The Colts have allowed 3+ sacks in every game but Week 1
- Matt Ryan is tied for the most interceptions thrown
Bears D/ST vs. Commanders
- Rostered in 6.2% of leagues
- The Commanders have scored the sixth-fewest points per game
- The Commanders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs. That includes 2+ sacks in every game
- Carson Wentz is third in most interceptions thrown
- Remember that Vegas projects the lowest-scoring game of the week: O/U 38
- Yes, the Bears' D/ST has yet to score more than nine points
- Starting them is banking on a low-scoring game and a turnover or two
Chargers D/ST vs. Broncos
- Rostered in 46.7% of leagues
- Chargers D/ST is *gulp* 31st in fantasy points
- But, the Broncos have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs
- That includes three straight games of 9+ points
- Teams have sacked Russell Wilson 3+ times in each game since Week 2
- Only the Colts have averaged fewer points per game than the Broncos
- Vegas projects the Broncos to score the 11th-fewest points: Implied Total - 20.25