Week 7 Kicker Streamers and Starts – 2021 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

The Jaguars officially made their first field goal in Week 6 and I think it's important we acknowledge this feat. The season has not been easy for the Jaguars. It's been a grind, ya know? Urban Meyer is such a disaster. In fact, the word "disaster" doesn't even seem to sum it up properly. I can't imagine making their first field goal was an accomplishment they aimed to hit this season, but maybe they need to set their bar a little lower. After all, if you set the bar low enough, you can't be disappointed.

In any case, Matthew Wright, the new kicker for the Jaguars finished in the top spot with 16 points in Week 6 and the Jaguars finally won a football game. The Lions are now the only team without a win and they've lost two games due to a 53-yarder and a 66-yard field goal. Kickers, they can be your best friend or your worst enemy – it's beautiful.

Personally, in Week 6, they were my best friend. All three of my streamer picks scored nine or more points. Two of them were in double-digits. Two of my busts ended up with just three points – Graham Gano and Nick Folk. The third, Randy Bullock, wound up with 10 points on Monday Night Football. With a perfect 6/6 – I said I was feeling confident – record in Week 6, we'll see if we can keep the good times rolling with my Week 7 picks.

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Week 7 Kicker Rankings

Kicker Streamers to Target for Week 7

Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins

Sanders and the following kicker on this week's streamer list were likely two of the highest-drafted kickers this season, but they have been massive disappointments thus far. Of course, when it comes to kickers, being a disappointment is rarely their fault. Unfortunately, neither offense, Miami's or Atlanta's has been very productive. But, for Miami, there might have been a reason for that. They've been without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the better part of four games.

In Week 6, their first-round signal-caller returned and the offense looked much better. While the 20 points they scored certainly didn't light the scoreboard on fire, the Dolphins racked up 431 total yards. That's a hefty little total right there. In Week 7, they're at home and up against another struggling team, the Atlanta Falcons. who have given up 29.6 points per game. The implied point total is 47.5, but there's some sneaky shoot-out appeal here.

Through six games, the Dolphins have given up the second-most scored in the NFL with 177. Now, the Falcons are only at 148, but they had a bye in Week 6. If we use their 29.6 points per game average and add that to their 148, we get 177.6. So, essentially fantasy managers have two of the worst defenses in the league going in this one. There should be plenty of points scored. I like Sanders for a nice bounce-back game of sorts.

Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons

Everything about Sanders above is pretty much true for Koo here, as well. Koo has struggled mightily this season, but a lot of that is due to an offense that hasn't been able to find its footing. In Week 5 though, the Falcons put together their best offensive game of the season. They had 450 total yards – their previous high was 374. Now, it was against the Jets, but sometimes that's what it takes for a team to get right. Sometimes, you just got to see the ball go through the basket and who better to help with that than the New York Jets.

In Week 7, the Falcons will get Calvin Ridley back, which will only help. Expect some points to be scored here. Still, both offenses aren't world-beaters who are likely to cash in continuously against the bad defenses they're facing. While I expect both offenses to move the ball down the field, they're unlikely going to be able to finish drives with touchdowns as often as they'd like. That's where Koo and Sanders come into play. I like both players to put up double-digits this weekend.

Dustin Hopkins, Washington Football Team

Hopkins has been very good to start the 2021 season and he's quietly in the top-12 in points scored for kickers. In four out of six games, he has scored nine or more points. He has been sneaky good this season and fantasy managers should take notice. Washington's offense has been struggling as of late, but they've still racked up over 370 yards of total offense in three out of six games this season. They also have two games of 30 or more points. The best part is Hopkins is averaging 2.3 field goal attempts per game.

In Week 7, they take on the Green Bay Packers, in a game where Washington is very likely to be chasing points. With an implied point total of 49.5, fantasy managers should expect some points to be scored here. I believe Washington will have to settle for a few field goals in this one, which gives Hopkins a great chance for a fourth outing of double-digit points.

Kicker Busts to Avoid for Week 7

Chase McLaughlin, Cleveland Browns

McLaughlin has been very good so far this season – in fact, he's been perfect. He's made all nine field goals and all 15 extra points. His 8.3 point per game is tied for 13th among kickers, so he can be considered a weekly starter. However, there are several red flags here that should have fantasy managers looking elsewhere in Week 7.

First and foremost is the health of Baker Mayfield. He's playing with a torn shoulder labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that he seemed to aggravate multiple times this past week and with a quick turnaround this week in preparation for their Thursday game, you have to wonder if they'll give him a week off. There are also questions around whether Nick Chubb and Odell Beckham Jr. will be able to go. Fantasy managers already know they'll be without Kareem Hunt. There are also some questions regarding their two book-end tackles who missed Week 6. Needless to say, this offense is currently in shambles. There are injuries up and down the lineup and the Broncos have given up the fourth-fewest points allowed in the NFL. The implied point total of 43.5 is another reason for concern – stay away.

Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos

There are a couple of concerns within this game. For starters, the Browns' pace of play is at a snail's pace. They lead the league in rush attempts, which generally slows games down and limits possessions. That's a bad thing for all offensive players, kickers included. The implied point total of 43.5 is not appealing, whatsoever. With the Browns' offensive concerns, fantasy managers should be concerned about a barn burner here.

McManus has been really good this season – currently ranked as a top-10 kicker, but Thursday night games are always a bit scary. The quick turnaround doesn't give teams a chance to prepare as much as they would for Sunday or Monday games. Players are often tired and not at their best. When you include the injuries to the Browns' offensive unit, the Broncos may choose to lean on their running game. There are just too many red flags in this matchup for me to feel comfortable.

Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams

We have the Rams going up against the Lions. – a revenge game for Matthew Stafford and a home game for the Rams. I do not expect this terrible Lions' defense holding Stafford and company to very many field goals. The Lions have given up the eighth-most points and honestly, if their offense wasn't so terrible, they'd likely be even worse, but most teams aren't actively trying to score in the fourth quarter as much as they are just trying to run out the clock.

Fantasy managers should fully expect the Rams to light up the scoreboard, but 4–5 extra points with a single field goal isn't exactly the kind of outing we're looking for from our kickers. Gay has been great this season, currently ranked in the top-five among kickers, so fantasy managers shouldn't drop Gay to avoid his likely lower score, but they should lower expectations as the Rams' offense is unlikely to run into much resistance, which is something every kicker needs to have a big outing.

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