Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Week 5: Kickers

If you have to play the matchup, there are a few emerging options available to you in Week 5.

UPDATED: October 8, 2021

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Davante Adams or Travis Kelce. Instead, I'll look at the players you have the most questions about to help you set the most effective starting lineup possible. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2021 NFL season.

Week 5 Start ‘Em: Kickers

Start of the Week

Daniel Carlson vs. Bears (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Carlson has remained one of the top kickers in fantasy football, averaging 10 points a game. He should continue to thrive this week, as the Raiders host a Bears defense that’s tied for the fourth-most fantasy points (9.6 PPG) allowed to kickers. I can see Carlson finishing as a top-five option.

Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

• QUARTERBACKS
• RUNNING BACKS
• WIDE RECEIVERS
• TIGHT ENDS
• KICKERS
• TEAM DEFENSES

Start ‘Em

Ryan Succop vs. Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Succop hasn't put up huge totals so far, as he's tied for 13th in fantasy points among kickers. Still, I like him to put up a nice total in a great matchup against the Dolphins. Their defense has given up eight field goals and is tied for the seventh-most points allowed to opposing kickers in 2021.

Greg Joseph vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Joseph put up a one-point stink bomb in last week’s loss to the Browns, but I like him to rebound in what is a positive matchup against the Lions. Their defense has surrendered a combined 30 fantasy points to kickers in their last two games, so look for Joseph to produce a top-10 fantasy line.

More Starts

• Brandon McManus at Steelers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Matt Prater vs. 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)

Sleepers

• Randy Bullock at Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Cody Parkey at Football Team (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Week 5 Sit ‘Em: Kickers

Sit of the Week

Mason Crosby at Bengals (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Crosby has been hot in recent weeks, scoring a combined 25 fantasy points in his last two games. I think he’ll see a decline against the Bengals, however. Their defense has allowed just 5.6 fantasy points per game to kickers, and no kicker has recorded more than eight points against them.

Sit ‘Em

Graham Gano at Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Gano has scored 13 combined points in his last two games, and an upcoming matchup against the Cowboys isn’t very favorable on paper. Just one kicker has scored more than seven fantasy points in a game against them, and opposing teams have converted just four field goal attempts.

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Chris Boswell vs. Broncos (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Boswell has averaged a mediocre 7.3 fantasy points in his first four games, and I think that will be his ceiling this week versus the Broncos. Their defense has surrendered just three field goal conversions and the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing kickers, so I’d keep Boswell on the bench.

More Sits

• Tristan Vizcaino vs. Browns (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Zane Gonzalez vs. Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Busts

• Rodrigo Blankenship at Ravens (Mon., 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Evan McPherson vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!

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