2026 Fantasy Football: Top 15 Kickers

This is not the time or place. Let’s show kickers the respect they deserve. Yes, they spend most of practice off to the side. No, they don’t tackle and generally are not doing any hitting or getting hit. For the most part, they only generate our attention when they do something wrong. But they are still a large part of the game and account for a good amount of scoring each week. So, as we prepare for 2026 fantasy football drafts, let’s embrace the position. Here are our Top 15 Kickers along with some thoughts and context.

2026 Kicker Notes

When Should You Strike?

Yes, some leagues have already done away with kickers and others want to, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the position. It is a starting position in our lineup, so it matters. You should not be drafting a kicker prior to the last three rounds, and by no means should you be reaching. But once your running back and wide receiver slots are filled and there’s no obvious target, then strike for one of the better options. If you want to wait until the last round also, that’s perfectly fine; just don’t purely throw a dart. The position deserves a little more respect.

Know Your Scoring Settings

Essentially, how much will you be penalized for a miss? And, I hope, a miss greater than 50 yards should not be held against you? What premium does your league place on long-distance kicks?

Target the Better Offenses, but Maybe Not the Best

This goes without saying, but the better the offense is, the more points will be scored. It’s a fine line though, as we don’t want our kicker to only get extra point opportunities. We want some field goal chances as well. In a perfect world, we want an offense that moves the ball consistently. That means we should be in field goal range on almost every possession. No team is going to be perfect in the red zone; from this perspective, we’d take a failure each time.

Weather and Schedule Matters

When the calendar turns to November and December, weather becomes an issue. Whether it is rain, snow, cold, or even worse, wind, the conditions are not always ideal for kicking. We want kickers who, especially in the later months, will either be kicking in domes or in warm weather.

Distance Matters

Kickers who have both the track record of having success and being trusted by the coaching staff are the true target here. Anything beyond 40 yards is nice, but after 50 yards is when things really get going from a fantasy perspective.

Brandon Aubrey is always going to get the hype; I mean, he was 11 of 13 from between 50 and 59 yards and three of four from greater than 60 yards, but he’s not the only one. Will Reichard and Chase McLaughlin also made 11 kicks from beyond 50 yards last season. They were followed by Ka’imi Fairbairn, Jason Myers, and Joey Slye with nine kicks each.

Stay the Course

For as good as a matchup looks, a kicker is going to be dependent on everything else around them. If they have a bad game, maybe give them another week, but stay the course unless things become a trend. The last thing you want to do is overreact and then end up chasing things at the kicker position each week. Drafting a kicker with a late bye week also helps here. If you end up with a stud and can carry two kickers for the bye week, there’s a world in which it makes sense. Just don’t draft a running back or wide receiver that is starting-worthy.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2026 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!

2026 Fantasy Football Top 15 Kicker Rankings