Top 10 Fantasy Football Kickers to Start in Week 1 (2026)

Updated August 28, 2026

I am never going to tell you to reach for a kicker.

That doesn't mean the position is completely random.

Once the season starts, I want kickers attached to offenses that:

• Move the football
• Create scoring opportunities
• Have quarterbacks I trust
• Play in favorable environments
• Are willing to attempt longer field goals

Week 1 weather is still too far away to build into the rankings with confidence.

That will matter closer to kickoff.

For now, these are my top 10.

1. Brandon Aubrey — Cowboys at Giants

Until there's a reason to move him, Aubrey is No. 1.

The range changes everything.

Dallas doesn't need to reach the red zone for Aubrey to have legitimate scoring opportunities.

The Cowboys open against the Giants on Sunday Night Football.

If Dallas consistently crosses midfield, Aubrey is in scoring range.

That's exactly why he's different from most fantasy kickers.

Verdict: START

2. Cameron Dicker — Chargers vs. Cardinals

Dicker has one of my favorite Week 1 setups.

Home game.

An offense I expect to move the football.

A manageable Arizona matchup.

Current projections actually have Dicker as the highest-scoring kicker for Week 1 at around 8.7 points.

I'm comfortable putting him immediately behind Aubrey.

Verdict: START

3. Jake Bates — Lions vs. Saints

This is the offense I want exposure to.

Detroit is at home against New Orleans and should create plenty of scoring opportunities.

That's the first thing I care about with kickers.

I don't need Bates attempting four 50-yard field goals.

If Detroit repeatedly reaches scoring territory, the points will come through field goals or extra points.

Bates is one of my favorite kickers to draft if you want someone you may actually hold.

Verdict: START

4. Cam Little — Jaguars vs. Browns

Little is a great example of why kicker rankings should change weekly.

Jacksonville isn't the first offense most fantasy managers think of when drafting a kicker.

Week 1?

I love the setup.

The Jaguars are home against Cleveland and should have opportunities to move the football without necessarily turning every drive into a touchdown.

That's exactly where kicker points come from.

Current consensus projections also have Little near the top of the position.

Verdict: START

5. Ka'imi Fairbairn — Texans vs. Bills

I don't love the matchup for Houston's defense.

I do like it for Houston's kicker.

Buffalo can force opponents to score.

That creates an environment where Houston can't afford to leave points on the field.

Fairbairn also has the leg to convert opportunities from distance.

This could become one of the higher-scoring games of Week 1.

That's good for the kicker.

Verdict: START

6. Tyler Loop — Ravens at Colts

I want the kicker attached to Lamar Jackson's offense.

It's pretty simple.

Baltimore should regularly cross midfield against Indianapolis.

The only thing keeping Loop from being even higher is that the Ravens are capable of finishing those drives with touchdowns rather than settling for three.

That's not a bad problem.

Extra points still count.

Verdict: START

7. Jason Myers — Seahawks vs. Patriots

Seattle opens its title defense at home.

That's a strong environment for Myers.

The Seahawks should have opportunities to control field position and create scoring drives.

Myers is also currently projected around eight fantasy points for Week 1.

He isn't Aubrey.

He doesn't need to be.

If you wait at kicker, Myers is exactly the type of option I'd be comfortable leaving the draft with.

Verdict: START

8. Evan McPherson — Bengals vs. Buccaneers

This is another game where I want access to the offense.

Cincinnati at home.

Joe Burrow.

Plenty of scoring potential.

McPherson's fantasy value has always been tied to whether Cincinnati produces enough field-goal opportunities rather than touchdowns.

For Week 1, the environment is good enough for me to trust him.

Verdict: START

9. Chase McLaughlin — Buccaneers at Bengals

Same game.

Other side.

If Cincinnati scores and forces Tampa Bay to stay aggressive, McLaughlin should get opportunities.

The road setting knocks him below McPherson.

But I like targeting kickers in games that have the potential to turn into scoring contests.

This is one.

Verdict: START

10. Chris Boswell — Steelers vs. Falcons

Boswell is rarely exciting.

He's often useful.

Pittsburgh gets Atlanta at home, and this feels like exactly the type of game that can create multiple stalled drives in field-goal range.

That's often better for a kicker than being attached to an unstoppable offense that scores six touchdowns.

Boswell's range keeps him in the top 10.

Verdict: START

Just Outside the Top 10

Will Reichard — Vikings vs. Packers

Very usable home option.

Jake Elliott — Eagles vs. Commanders

Great offense, but Philadelphia can be so efficient in the red zone that Elliott sometimes has to live on extra points.

Harrison Mevis — Rams vs. 49ers

Current projections love the opportunity. The unusual Australia environment makes me slightly more cautious until we know more.

Harrison Butker — Chiefs vs. Broncos

Normally an easy top-10 candidate. Patrick Mahomes' Week 1 health situation makes Kansas City's offensive projection harder to trust right now.

Don't Draft Your Kicker Too Early

This is the biggest takeaway.

The difference between K5 and K15 is not worth sacrificing an upside running back or receiver.

Take your skill-position lottery tickets first.

Then pick the kicker attached to the best Week 1 environment.

And if that environment changes?

Drop him.

There will be another kicker next week.

That's how I want to play the position all season.