3 FanDuel Kickers to Target in Week 6
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 6.
Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
FanDuel Price: $5,000
The New England Patriots host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. They are an 8.5-point favorite in a game with an over/under of 47, giving them the second-highest implied team total on the slate. Our algorithm sees them winning this game nearly 76% of the time, too. The wind seems minimal for now, and no precipitation is on the radar at this point -- something you'll really have to be mindful about when rostering a kicker this week because weather looks ugly for the weekend.
You can get a good outing from a kicker in bad weather, but there's no reason to risk it with Stephen Gostkowski in a promising spot and the other two options below.
Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers
FanDuel Price: $5,000
The Carolina Panthers will likely have Cam Newton back under center as they travel to play the New Orleans Saints as three-point favorites. The over/under of 53 points is 5.5 points more than any other game on the slate, and the Panthers -- who boast the top implied team total on the slate -- should win this one about 55% of the time, per our algorithm.
It's not a guarantee that the Panthers play with a lead, but Graham Gano should have plenty of chances to rack up points when his team faces the 30th-ranked defense in the NFL. The potential shootout and leaky defense should give Gano a nice floor even if the Panthers score touchdowns rather than settle for field goals.
Nick Novak, Houston Texans
FanDuel Price: $4,500
Nick Novak has had an up-and-down season on the worrisome Houston Texans' offense. He has notched double-digit FanDuel points in three of his five games but was shut out once and secured seven FanDuel points last week against the Minnesota Vikings in an ugly offensive showing. This week, Novak's Texans are three-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in Houston.
Generally, we want a larger spread for our kickers to ensure they aren't missing field goal attempts as their team plays catch up, but our algorithm gives the Texans a 65.6% chance to win this one. There's a retractable dome, too, which eradicates any wind or rain concerns. Novak is looking like the best minimum-salary option for Week 6's main slate.
