Start 'Em, Sit 'Em kickers: Week 6 fantasy football

Fantasy football managers will be collectively facing one of the sport's toughest questions over the next couple of months. What should I do with my kicker when he's on bye?

That's something with which Harrison Butker owners will have to grapple in Week 6. Can you really risk cutting a top-10 kicker playing on an offense with Patrick Mahomes? Probably not, but at the same time, rostering two kickers is unappealing.

Many other fantasy owners will be happy to part with their kickers and replace them with bye week streamers, knowing they can get them back in a few days time if they so desire. Others will continue to cycle through kickers until they find one they like who can consistently reach double digits or average a couple of field goal attempts per game.

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Who might be some of the underrated and overrated kicker options for Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season? Here's a breakdown of the best kickers to trust in fantasy football, including some potential high-volume streamers.

Fantasy football start 'em: Week 6 Kickers

Matthew Wright, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers lost Jake Moody to a high-ankle sprain against the Arizona Cardinals. He will miss San Francisco's "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and be replaced by Wright, who will immediately become a viable fantasy option.

Wright has played in 24 career NFL games and has made 40 of 47 career kicks, good for an 85.1 field goal percentage. He is a respectable 6 of 9 on kicks from 50-plus yards and has a career-long make of 59 yards. The 49ers rank second in the NFL in field goal attempts per game (3), so Wright can be trusted against a Seattle defense that has been porous the last two weeks, allowing 404.5 yards per game.

Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers

If you're looking for a potential high-end kicker who is more available now than he should be, look no further than Dicker the Kicker. His ownership declined significantly during the Chargers' bye week, as is typically the case for high-end but non-elite kickers, so he can be scooped up and used as a lineup replacement for the rest of the season.

The Chargers are playing in kicker-friendly Denver against the Broncos in Week 6, so Dicker – who is 9 of 13 on kicks from 50-plus yards for his career – should get a distance boost. That should be enough to quell any concerns about Los Angeles getting fewer scoring opportunities against a strong Denver defense.

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Nick Folk, Tennessee Titans

Folk is more under-the-radar as a fantasy option, but he is also coming off a bye week and has a favorable matchup. The Titans are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are allowing the third-most points per game in the NFL this season (28.6), so Folk should get more chances to knock through field goals and extra points in this contest.

The best part about Folk? Tennessee has an offense that is good enough to move the ball, but they don't often finish drive (they rank 17th in the NFL with a 54.55 red-zone touchdown percentage). That could make the Titans-Jaguars game similar to the Week 4 Titans vs. Miami Dolphins game during which Folk made all five of his field goal attempts. He may not make three kicks from 50-plus yards in the same game again, but the volume will be there for the 39-year-old veteran.

Fantasy football sit 'em: Week 6 Kickers

Blake Grupe, New Orleans Saints

Grupe was a stud in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, going 4 of 4 on field goals and making two kicks from 50-plus yards. Since then, he has had four field goal attempts across four weeks and hasn't made up for it with extra point volume (9 of 11 over that span).

With Derek Carr dealing with an oblique injury that will keep him out for some time, the Saints' offense is even more volatile in Week 6 than it has been in recent weeks. That makes it hard to trust Grupe, even against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that is allowing 2.8 field goal attempts per game (tied for third-most in the NFL).

Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

Elliott finished sixth in kicker fantasy points for the 2023 NFL season, but his performance in 2024 has been a far cry from that. He has just five field goal attempts through four games and hasn't made one since Week 2.

Philadelphia's offense should be better coming out of its bye week, pending the health of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but it's hard to recommend trusting Elliott until we see the Eagles become the explosive offense they were to begin the 2023 season.

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Austin Seibert, Washington Commanders

Seibert has been perfect since joining the Commanders ahead of Week 2, making all 12 of his field goal attempts and 13 extra points, but his matchup with the Baltimore Ravens looks tough. The Commanders and Ravens are the NFL's two highest-scoring teams, so this may be an offensive shootout during which each coach is aggressive and tries to get touchdowns early and often.

Add in that Seibert hasn't yet attempted a kick from 50-plus yards and his ceiling is low in Week 6. His extra-point volume should be enough to buoy most lineups, but he doesn't figure to be a top-12 kicker this week either.

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'ems, Week 6

Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:

→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here's who to start and who to sit in Week 6.

→ Need an edge under center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and to sit in Week 6.

→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 6 with start 'em, sit 'em advice for wideouts.

→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here's who you should start and sit in Week 6.

→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent's offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 6.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 6: 6 Ks to start or sit