By means of the primary two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, fantasy soccer managers have been left scratching their heads. Offenses have been sluggish, key gamers are falling to accidents and the scores have been wildly unpredictable. Among the many most shocking tendencies is the sudden dominance of kickers, who’ve quietly taken over as a few of the most beneficial property in fantasy lineups.
Tight ends have historically been one of many trickiest positions to navigate in fantasy soccer, however 2024 has taken this to a brand new degree. By means of two weeks, Isaiah Probably leads all tight ends in whole fantasy factors with simply 19.7. To place that in perspective, Probably’s level whole ranks 99th general amongst all positions. It’s a surprising stat contemplating the premium that many fantasy house owners place on grabbing a dependable tight finish throughout their drafts.
Superstars like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and George Kittle have both been injured or underwhelming, leaving fantasy managers scrambling for alternate options.
Whereas tight ends are struggling, kickers are quietly changing into the surprising stars of fantasy rosters.
By means of two weeks of motion, 16 kickers have scored extra fantasy factors than the top-performing tight finish and three of them discover themselves ranked inside the highest 20 general. Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys leads the way in which with 38 fantasy points, rating thirteenth amongst all gamers. Aubrey’s efficiency would make him the ninth-highest-scoring quarterback, the fifth-highest working again and the top-scoring extensive receiver in fantasy soccer.
Following shut behind Aubrey are Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, who sits sixteenth general with 37 fantasy factors and Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell, who ranks nineteenth with 35 factors. Kickers are outscoring family names like Justin Jefferson, Breece Corridor and Patrick Mahomes.
The largest issue contributing to the early dominance of kickers in fantasy soccer this season is lengthy area objectives. In the course of the 2023-24 season, Aubrey led the league with 10 area objectives of 50-plus yards whereas most kickers fell within the five-to-seven vary.
By means of the primary two weeks of the 2024-25 season, Fairbairn has already made six 50-plus yard area objectives and Boswell has made 4. Seventeen kickers have linked on no less than one. Groups are shifting the ball, however many are struggling to complete drives within the purple zone. In consequence, kickers are getting extra alternatives to rack up factors, particularly with longer area objectives that present bonus factors in lots of fantasy leagues.
For fantasy managers who’ve historically waited till the final rounds of the draft to choose a kicker, this season’s early returns might spark a change in technique. It could be time to begin viewing kickers as extra than simply an afterthought, particularly if the pattern of low-scoring video games and offensive struggles continues.