Which round should you draft a kicker? Fantasy football draft strategy, tips and more

Kickers are often overlooked in fantasy football, but managers need to have a strategy for the position. They score fantasy points in weekly lineups just like every other position, so making the right decisions here can help to fully optimize lineups. Here's how to approach them in fantasy drafts for the 2024 NFL season.

2024 fantasy football: Which round should you draft a kicker?

Brandon Aubrey (GETTY)

Many managers wait as late as possible before selecting a kicker during their fantasy football drafts. Some will wait until the final round of the draft and take whichever option they believe to be the best one still available. In fact, just five kickers have an overall ADP better than 200th overall, with Justin Tucker leading the way at 155th overall.

Tucker currently leads Brandon Aubrey by a slight margin, but the majority of kickers have an ADP beyond the 16th round of drafts. This means managers can afford to wait on their kickers until the latest rounds, as over-drafting one can hurt the depth of other positions on a fantasy football roster.

Top 7 kickers in 2024 fantasy football

One of the most popular strategies for approaching kickers in fantasy football drafts is targeting efficient players on high-scoring teams. Strong offenses give their kickers more scoring opportunities, but missing attempts can result in losing points, especially in leagues that score negative points for missed kicks.

Using this strategy has helped to produce the kicker rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Here are the top seven options this year.

#7. Jake Elliott

Jake Elliott finished as the K6 in fantasy football last season, making 75 of his 78 total kicking attempts. The Philadelphia Eagles offense should be even better this year with Saquon Barkley joining the team, so Elliott should have plenty of scoring opportunities.

#6. Tyler Bass

Tyler Bass has finished among the top 12 fantasy football kickers in three of his four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. This means he usually ranks as a starter in most leagues and has been consistently reliable.

#5. Evan McPherson

Evan McPherson recorded a career-best K8 finish in his rookie season three years ago but has finished outside the starter range in the past two years. He is still a high-upside option in the Cincinnati Bengals' high-scoring offense.

#4. Brandon Aubrey

Brandon Aubrey finished as the overall K1 last season in his first year with the Dallas Cowboys. He has the potential to do so again this year as long as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb settle their contract disputes.

#3. Jason Sanders

Jason Sanders has the luxury of playing in one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. He finished as a fantasy starter in three of the past four seasons and makes for a solid choice this year.

#2. Harrison Butker

Harrison Butker has been one of the most reliable fantasy kickers during his career, finishing in the starter range in six of his seven seasons so far. He should continue to see plenty of scoring opportunities with the Kansas City Chiefs.

#1. Justin Tucker

Justin Tucker is one of the greatest kickers in NFL history, so it's no surprise he tops the fantasy kicker rankings again. He has finished among the top ten kickers in each of his 12 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens so far.