In fantasy football, every point counts, and points are the only way you can win.
You need to maximize output from each and every player on your roster, and "punting" a position is never truly ideal. Sometimes in season-long leagues, you simply are stuck without any better options than who is on your roster already, but in daily fantasy football, where you are in control of every player you pick, there are no excuses.
So when you're making your lineups on FanDuel, don't leave kicker for last and choose whichever minimum-salary player fits in.
Move the position higher up on your priority list and learn to love the kicker. Start by targeting these three guys in Week 5.
Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
FanDuel Price: $5,100
Stephen Gostkowski will cost you more than any other kicker this week, but he should be worth it. His New England Patriots are 10-point road favorites against the Cleveland Browns. Ideally, we're targeting kickers at home, but with a 73.5% chance to win, the Patriots' kicker should elude playing from behind.
The Patriots have an implied team total of 28.5 points, highest on the weekend, that should yield plenty of scoring chances for the offense. The Browns rank 17th on defense, according to our Adjusted Defensive Denver Broncos are a 6-point favorite over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in a game with an over/under of 47, giving Denver a 26.75-point implied team total. From 2013 to 2015, kickers have averaged 9.3 FanDuel points per game when their team has had an implied total of 25.25 to 27 points, which is more than a point above the overall average in that span.
Atlanta ranks 31st in overall defense, per our metrics, but Denver is dealing with an injury to Trevor Siemian, which could lead us to see Paxton Lynch under center come Sunday.
Still, Brandon McManus has the point spread, team total, and win probability (60.5%) in his favor against a weak defense. At his price, he's a strong target on an offense that could settle for field goals.
Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
FanDuel Price: $4,500
Mason Crosby is one of just six minimum-salary kickers on FanDuel's main slate, but he's in a pretty good spot against the New York Giants. Crosby's Green Bay Packers are 7-point home favorites with an implied team total of 27.5, tied for second-highest on the slate. The Giants rank 22nd in overall defense this year, and the Packers are 2nd offensively.
Our algorithms see Green Bay winning 65.4% of the time, so Crosby is shaping up to be the best minimum-salary option of the week and one of the most logical options on the entire slate as well.