As we get closer to the fantasy season beginning, some of you setting up your leagues may have noticed a slight change to the kicking game depending on what site you use. For those specifically using Yahoo, there is now what is known as “Field Goal Yards Per Point” available. In the current standard format, kickers typically receive three points for a field goal made between 0-39 yards, then four points for 40-49 yards, five points for 50-59, and six for 60+ yards. The new format is fairly similar, except there will now be a larger emphasis on the total yards of a field goal. A kicker with a bigger leg who can hit from longer distances will now have more value than one who is constantly hitting chip shots. Let’s take a look at kickers to potentially target using this new format. 

Daniel Carlson (Raiders)

Carlson is a kicker you should be targeting anyway because he has finished in the top 3 for fantasy kicker scoring in each of the last two years. He led the league last season with 11 made kicks of 50+ yards and averaged 16 made kicks from 40+ yards in each of the last two seasons. On top of all that he has only missed three kicks per year in each of the last two seasons. A lot of owners jump for Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker, and rightfully so but one thing to factor in with those two is both have coaches who have little to no fear about going for it on fourth down and short. Carlson is a pretty much lights-out kicker with the range to hit from deep. 

Brett Maher (Cowboys)

Brett Maher hitting TWO of these in a row because of a bs review somehow undoing a play was hilarious. And in a cruel comedic way he went from automatic to shit in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/OwXLzeWRWs https://t.co/DsKsJ22TX5

— 😢 (@CeeDeePlsTD) July 19, 2023

This is an interesting case because we truly don’t know how aggressive of an offense the Cowboys will be with Mike McCarthy taking over the play-calling duties. McCarthy is not a new-age head coach per se, but he has factored in analytics consistently since taking over in Dallas. They don’t have a true bruising back anymore with Ezekiel Elliott gone. Maher has a huge leg, after not making a single kick of 50+ yards in 2021, he exploded for 9 makes from that distance in 2022, good for fourth in the league amongst fantasy kickers. 

Graham Gano (Giants)

Staying in the NFC East, the 36-year-old is still as reliable as ever. Gano has finished in the top six for field goals made from 50+ yards in each of the last three seasons. Gano also made 10 field goals from 40-49 yards last season and while the Giants clearly improved last season, this is still not an offense that is loaded with overly reliable playmakers for Brian Daboll to be overly aggressive on fourth down situations. Opportunities should be aplenty this season for Gano and should he capitalize like he normally does, those extra 0.1-0.9 points add up and could be huge difference-makers in matchups. 

Nick Folk (Patriots)

Folk has made 34 field goals from at least 40 yards over the last two seasons. The Patriots’ offense is (hot take alert here) not what it once was. The Patriots have historically had a reliable kicking game under Bill Belichick and Folk has been no different. They will continue to rely on him until Mac Jones can strike some fear into opposing defenses. 

Younghoe Koo (Falcons)

Koo was sixth in the league in fantasy scoring for kickers last season under the standard format. He made 16 field goals from at least 40 yards last season including seven from 50+. His home stadium is on turf and has a retractable roof giving him favorable conditions for at least eight games. There are two teams in his division that play in either a dome or in constantly good weather. On top of all that, we truly don’t know what the Falcons will be offensively this year because of the uncertainty of how Desmond Ridder will be. The Falcons have playmakers on offense but if the quarterback cannot deliver, it will only increase the opportunities and value for a guy who’s already one of the game’s most reliable kickers.

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