Week 16 is the fantasy football playoff semifinals for the vast majority of leagues. Either you're looking to keep the momentum going after a huge opening week victory or you're ready to finally kick things off after earning a bye in the first round. No matter what kind of route you took to get here, every fantasy manager has one fear in common. They don't want to even think about the possibility of their kicker putting forth a dud and costing your team a shot at fantasy glory.
On the surface, it would appear as though Week 15 was a solid one for kickers. Heading into Sunday Night Football, eight different kickers scored double-digit fantasy points. Some of the usual suspects like Brandon Aubrey and Chase McLaughlin were among them, but some surprises like Cam Little and Joshua Karty also had big days.
But there's a very good chance plenty of playoff teams also started Lions kicker Jake Bates. Detroit's kicker has really been locked in, scoring 11-plus fantasy points in four of his last five games heading into Week 15. Even though there was no shortage of points scored in the marquee matchup between the Lions and Bills, Bates could only muster five of the team's 35 points. That could be the difference between advancing to the semifinals or having your fantasy season come to an abrupt halt.
There are no guarantees when it comes to kickers, but you also don't want to make any careless decisions. We've done most of the work for you already, so make sure you reference these rankings before locking in your kicker this week.
WEEK 16 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings Week 16: Who to start, sit at Kicker
These rankings were updated on Dec. 21 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | OPPONENT | CHANGE |
| 1 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | vs. TB | |
| 2 | Chris Boswell | PIT | at BAL | |
| 3 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | vs. DEN | |
| 4 | Jake Bates | DET | at CHI | |
| 5 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | HOU | at KC | |
| 6 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | at DAL | |
| 7 | Tyler Bass | BUF | vs. NE | |
| 8 | Riley Patterson | ATL | vs. NYG | |
| 9 | Jake Moody | SF | at MIA | |
| 10 | Brandon McManus | GB | vs. NO | |
| 11 | Harrison Butker | KC | vs. HOU | |
| 12 | Justin Tucker | BAL | vs. PIT | |
| 13 | Jake Elliott | PHI | at WAS | |
| 14 | Jason Myers | SEA | vs. MIN | |
| 15 | Chad Ryland | ARI | at CAR | |
| 16 | Will Reichard | MIN | at SEA | |
| 17 | Zane Gonzalez | WAS | vs. PHI | N/R |
| 18 | Cade York | CIN | vs. CLE | |
| 19 | Cairo Santos | CHI | vs. DET | |
| 20 | Wil Lutz | DEN | at LAC | |
| 21 | Joshua Karty | LAR | at NYJ | |
| 22 | Jason Sanders | MIA | vs. SF | |
| 23 | Brayden Narveson | TEN | at IND | N/R |
| 24 | Anders Carlson | NYJ | vs. LAR | |
| 25 | Dustin Hopkins | CLE | at CIN | |
| 26 | Daniel Carlson | LV | vs. JAC | |
| 27 | Matt Gay | IND | vs. TEN | |
| 28 | Cam Little | JAC | at LV | |
| 29 | Eddy Pineiro | CAR | vs. ARI | |
| 30 | Joey Slye | NE | at BUF | |
| 31 | Blake Grupe | NO | at GB | |
| 32 | Graham Gano | NYG | at ATL |
Who are the best fantasy kickers in Week 16?
Last week, Mike McCarthy showed us just how much trust he has in Brandon Aubrey when he allowed him to attempt a 70-yard field goal. Aubrey brutally shanked the kick, but this proves that the Cowboys are willing to have Aubrey line up from just about anywhere. The Cowboys should be able to put up some points on the shaky Tampa Bay defense, and Aubrey should play a role in that scoring.
Chris Boswell's accuracy and Mike Tomlin's conservative mentality come together to create a very valuable fantasy asset. Boswell is the K1 this season and is the only kicker averaging more than 12 PPG. He belongs in lineups every week without a second thought.
MORE: Complete Week 16 Waiver Wire and FAAB recommendations
Who are the best fantasy kicker sleepers in Week 16?
Chad Ryland has been a difference-maker in fantasy lineups recently, scoring 14-plus points in two of his last three games. Even with the up-and-down play of Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense as a whole, a matchup with Carolina presents an opportunity for everyone, Ryland included, to put up some big-time fantasy numbers.
Joshua Karty is another kicker who's been productive lately, scoring 21 combined points in his last two games. Matthew Stafford and company should keep plugging along against a Jets defense that has been uncharacteristically subpar as of late. As long as Stafford can put the Rams into scoring position regularly, Karty should be able to knock in a few kicks.
