Tell your friends (just not your leaguemates until next week)

by Optimus Staff

Published On: December 3rd, 2025

Just when you thought the map was complete, another clue reveals itself. Sure, you’ve uncovered the right defenses to stash for the fantasy playoffs (if you haven’t, go check out Part 1), but every great treasure hunt has a second chamber, a hidden compartment, a final piece that pulls the whole plan together. And in fantasy football, that missing piece is sometimes the position no one wants to talk about: kickers.

#national treasure from WELCOME TO FILMREEL

But that’s exactly why they matter. While your league mates shrug and scroll past them, we’ve stayed locked in, like Benjamin Franklin Gates (aka Nicholas Cage) staring at a centuries-old cipher. We followed the breadcrumbs, studied the playoff environments, tracked the domes, the weather, the red zone tendencies, and dug through the waiver-wire archives to uncover the kickers perfectly placed to swing a matchup when it matters most. 

You already have the defenses (again, check out Part 1). Now it’s time to complete the treasure map. No, we’re still not stealing the Declaration of Independence, but we are about to steal you a few more playoff wins.

The Book of Secrets: Kicker Streamers That Complete Your Playoff Plan (Part 2)

How This Works:

“Oh my gosh, you guys make these charts so difficult to understand!”

You know what, you’re right. We heard you. This chart is as simple as it gets, but still, let’s take a walk through it. 

Columns A and B are the kicker’s name and the team they kick for. Pretty straightforward.

Columns C, E, and G are the matchups for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively, and they indicate either home (vs) or away (@). We also ranked them, and they’re color-coded to make it easy on the eyes! Important Note: The colors indicate where a matchup is average, marginally/significantly better than average, or marginally/significantly worse than average.

Columns D, F, and H are the projected scores for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively. Nope, nothing fancy, that’s what they are.

Column J is the average of Columns D, F, and H. Again, nothing too fancy. Just the average.

Column I is the grades that are based on the scores in Column J. Just like before, the grades and colors associated with them show where a grade is average (C), marginally/significantly better than average (B/A), or marginally/significantly worse than average (D/F).

a man is asking could it really be that simple

“But kickers are random. Why is this any better?”

Boy, it sure feels that way, doesn’t it? They feel so random because most projection systems only use implied totals, or how much Las Vegas expects a team to score in a given week, when projecting kickers. The problem is that the method has only a .127 correlation with kicker fantasy scoring. That means it’s barely better than flipping a coin to determine their score. Random!

So what our fabulous team did was develop a rigorous testing and projection method. We’re not going to bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that our method climbed all the way up to .839 correlation. Is it perfect? Heck no! But for those of you following along at home, that’s 6.6 times better than using implied totals alone. So we might always get it right, but we’re going to be in the neighborhood a lot more often than not.

****NOTE: The Indianapolis Colts have been removed from this chart as they waived their kicker, Michael Badgley, on Tuesday.****

Kickers For The Long Haul:

Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers | 11% rostered

Bifocals

The 49ers are getting veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) back just in time for their own late-season treasure hunt: a run at the NFC West crown. Pinerio has missed three games this year, but when he has been on the field, he’s been producing like a rare artifact everyone somehow overlooks. Heading into San Francisco’s bye, he ranks as the K5 in fantasy points per game.

Pinerio’s been nearly flawless this season, with his only blemishes coming on extra points. And if there’s one thing Kyle Shanahan loves, it’s handing Pineiro the metaphorical map and saying, “Go ahead, see how far you can take this.” The veteran has drilled all eight attempts from beyond 40 yards and all six from 50-plus, the kind of long-range accuracy that feels like unlocking a secret chamber when your matchup is too close for comfort. 

There is little Kyle Shanahan likes doing more than kicking FGs, even when he shouldn’t, bless his heart. The 49ers are second in the NFL at kicking FGs on red-zone trips that don’t end in TDs, at 88.9%. Go for it on 4th down? Perish the thought. Try for the goal line one more time and that TD? Don’t be silly! Kick those FGs!

Once the 49ers return in Week 15, Pineiro’s schedule lines up like a trail of well-placed clues. Home games against Tennessee and Chicago, plus a dome trip to Indy in Week 16, give him a projected 12.6 fantasy points per game – the highest of all our graded kickers. And yet, like any good hidden treasure, he’s sitting unclaimed on plenty of waiver wires.

If you’re looking to eliminate uncertainty during your playoff run, Pineiro is as close as you’ll get to an X marking the spot.

Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals | 27% rostered

Meerschaum Pipe

Much like Pinerio, Evan McPherson is one of those rare kickers who feels like a clue you uncover later in the treasure hunt that ties everything together. The season may have started quietly for the Bengals veteran, but the offense has found its footing with the return of QB Joe Burrow, and McPherson has climbed right back into form. Through 13 weeks, he’s the K6, and since Week 7, he’s been consistently delivering with 2.3 field goal attempts and three extra-point attempts per game. 

Our adjusted projections give McPhereson the fifth-best fantasy playoff schedule, and the data backs it up. Two of Cincinnati’s three opponents from Weeks 15 through 17 – Baltimore and Arizona – rank among the bottom four in fantasy points allowed to kickers. In treasure-hunting terms, that’s about as clear a marker as you’ll get. How about this for a nugget of gold – the Bengals are the 6th least likely team to “go for it” on 4th down in the NFL. And do you know what that means? More kicks. McPherson’s specialty.

There’s no hidden cipher here. If McPherson is sitting on your waiver wire, don’t leave him there. Grab the clue before someone else follows the map.

Week 15 Streamer:

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | 27% rostered

The Playfair Cipher

Starting big-legged Vikings kicker Will Reichard has been the fantasy equivalent of a National Treasure clue – sometimes it leads you straight to an 18-point haul, other times it turns out to be a dead end, like last week’s goose egg against Seattle. But just like in the movie, the “problem” isn’t the clue itself. Reichard has been rock solid: only two misses all season and eight makes from 50-plus yards. The real issue is the Minnesota offense, which has spent most of the year trying to decode its own quarterback puzzle.

With J.J. McCarthy returning from his concussion, things should improve only slightly (think Ian Howe squinting at the Silence Dogood letters). But in Week 15, it won’t matter. That’s when the Vikings head to Dallas. The Cowboys’ defense has improved lately (as we discussed in Part 1), and McCarthy will likely struggle. I won’t sit here and lead you astray.

However, those struggles should put Minnesota in enough “we can’t crack the vault, but we can definitely disable one laser” situations to get Reichard into field goal range multiple times. And if there’s one thing we can trust, it’s that Minnesota won’t get into the end zone. In fact, of their red-zone drives that don’t end in the end zone, 87.5% result in FG attempts. That is good for third in the NFL. Or ‘bad’ for third, I don’t know. But the point is, even if they get close, they kick a lot of FGs. Which, of course, is good for our guy Reichard.

Week 16 Streamer:

Riley Patterson, Miami Dolphins | 2% rostered

Embed from Getty Images

Wood Carving

Somehow, Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has been hiding in plain sight this season. He’s the fantasy equivalent of a clue sitting right there on the back of the Declaration of Independence, yet everyone keeps walking past it. It hasn’t been flashy, but since taking over for Jason Sanders in Week 2, Patterson has quietly climbed to K9 in total points, turning Miami’s flawed-but-functional offense into steady production.

Like the Vikings, the Dolphins aren’t exactly operating like a well-oiled team, but they’re not disastrous either (shout out De’Von Achane). And Patterson has taken full advantage: eight straight made field goals over the last three games, three from 40+, only one missed PAT, and a clean 10.3 fantasy points per game. Not bad for a guy most managers still think is just another name on the waiver wire. 

While he doesn’t stand out in any particular metric, that’s kind of Patterson’s whole schtick. He’s just kinda always there, hangin’ around the top 10. In fact, his most outstanding metric is that Miami scores a TD on only 56.5% of their red zone trips, which is the 11th-worst in the NFL. And what are teams doing if they’re not scoring TDs from up close? That’s right, they’re kicking FGs. 

Week 16 brings Miami home against Cincinnati. Burrow’s return has their offense humming again, and a shootout is firmly on the table. If the Dolphins have to keep pace, Patterson could kick himself into a top-five finish, doing his best impression of Benjamin Gates piecing together the final clue.

Week 17 Streamer:

Joey Slye, Tennessee Titans | 1% rostered

Surrender your hand to the heart of the warrior

Week 17 is the fantasy championships in most leagues, and in tight matchups, a kicker can turn a good season into a trophy run. If you already secured one of the reliable long-haul options, great, you’ve uncovered one of the hidden clues. But for those still hunting on waivers, Titans kicker Joey Slye is a solid find with a matchup that could deliver.

Tennessee has mostly been playing for pride and draft position, but Cam Ward has shown some improvement, and the offense is at least moving the ball into scoring range. Over the last four games, Slye has been flawless, hitting six field goals and six extra points. He’s not flashy, but in a week where every point matters, steady hands can feel like discovering a secret passing in a centuries-old vault.

You know a team is bad when they’re bottom 5 in how often a team scores a TD when they get to the red zone (Tennessee is 3rd), and top 10 in how often they attempt a field goal in the red zone trips that don’t end in a TD (9th). But you know who it’s good for? One Mr. Joey Slye. There’s not much good to take out of Tennessee this year, but Slye is probably the least-bad.

Week 17 brings the Tyler Shough-led Saints to Nashville, a team that struggles to keep opponents out of the end zone and ranks sixth in fantasy points allowed to kickers. A competitive game should send Slye into action multiple times, giving him a chance to turn those opportunities into fantasy gold.

If you’re still looking for an edge heading into the championship, Slye is the kind of hidden gem that can quietly tip the scales in your favor.

Takeaways:

Does it feel more comfortable to go full-on Ron Popeil with your kicker and ‘set it and forget it’? Yeah, it probably does.

But we don’t play fantasy football because we want to be comfortable. We do it to compete, to win, to humiliate our friends and take their money. You might say we do it to seek lost treasure. For those of us who eschew the dominant kicker because we don’t feel like spending a 10th-round pick on one, this is for you. To prove once and for all that yes, you can win a championship by rifling through what others deem garbage.

To find the singular path to the treasure that you seek. That cup, that belt, that ring, those bragging rights.

If you are wondering which defenses to stream for the playoffs, make sure to check out Part 1.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Just when you thought the map was complete, another clue reveals itself. Sure, you’ve uncovered the right defenses to stash for the fantasy playoffs (if you haven’t, go check out Part 1), but every great treasure hunt has a second chamber, a hidden compartment, a final piece that pulls the whole plan together. And in fantasy football, that missing piece is sometimes the position no one wants to talk about: kickers.

#national treasure from WELCOME TO FILMREEL

But that’s exactly why they matter. While your league mates shrug and scroll past them, we’ve stayed locked in, like Benjamin Franklin Gates (aka Nicholas Cage) staring at a centuries-old cipher. We followed the breadcrumbs, studied the playoff environments, tracked the domes, the weather, the red zone tendencies, and dug through the waiver-wire archives to uncover the kickers perfectly placed to swing a matchup when it matters most. 

You already have the defenses (again, check out Part 1). Now it’s time to complete the treasure map. No, we’re still not stealing the Declaration of Independence, but we are about to steal you a few more playoff wins.

The Book of Secrets: Kicker Streamers That Complete Your Playoff Plan (Part 2)

How This Works:

“Oh my gosh, you guys make these charts so difficult to understand!”

You know what, you’re right. We heard you. This chart is as simple as it gets, but still, let’s take a walk through it. 

Columns A and B are the kicker’s name and the team they kick for. Pretty straightforward.

Columns C, E, and G are the matchups for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively, and they indicate either home (vs) or away (@). We also ranked them, and they’re color-coded to make it easy on the eyes! Important Note: The colors indicate where a matchup is average, marginally/significantly better than average, or marginally/significantly worse than average.

Columns D, F, and H are the projected scores for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively. Nope, nothing fancy, that’s what they are.

Column J is the average of Columns D, F, and H. Again, nothing too fancy. Just the average.

Column I is the grades that are based on the scores in Column J. Just like before, the grades and colors associated with them show where a grade is average (C), marginally/significantly better than average (B/A), or marginally/significantly worse than average (D/F).

a man is asking could it really be that simple

“But kickers are random. Why is this any better?”

Boy, it sure feels that way, doesn’t it? They feel so random because most projection systems only use implied totals, or how much Las Vegas expects a team to score in a given week, when projecting kickers. The problem is that the method has only a .127 correlation with kicker fantasy scoring. That means it’s barely better than flipping a coin to determine their score. Random!

So what our fabulous team did was develop a rigorous testing and projection method. We’re not going to bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that our method climbed all the way up to .839 correlation. Is it perfect? Heck no! But for those of you following along at home, that’s 6.6 times better than using implied totals alone. So we might always get it right, but we’re going to be in the neighborhood a lot more often than not.

****NOTE: The Indianapolis Colts have been removed from this chart as they waived their kicker, Michael Badgley, on Tuesday.****

Kickers For The Long Haul:

Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers | 11% rostered

Bifocals

The 49ers are getting veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) back just in time for their own late-season treasure hunt: a run at the NFC West crown. Pinerio has missed three games this year, but when he has been on the field, he’s been producing like a rare artifact everyone somehow overlooks. Heading into San Francisco’s bye, he ranks as the K5 in fantasy points per game.

Pinerio’s been nearly flawless this season, with his only blemishes coming on extra points. And if there’s one thing Kyle Shanahan loves, it’s handing Pineiro the metaphorical map and saying, “Go ahead, see how far you can take this.” The veteran has drilled all eight attempts from beyond 40 yards and all six from 50-plus, the kind of long-range accuracy that feels like unlocking a secret chamber when your matchup is too close for comfort. 

There is little Kyle Shanahan likes doing more than kicking FGs, even when he shouldn’t, bless his heart. The 49ers are second in the NFL at kicking FGs on red-zone trips that don’t end in TDs, at 88.9%. Go for it on 4th down? Perish the thought. Try for the goal line one more time and that TD? Don’t be silly! Kick those FGs!

Once the 49ers return in Week 15, Pineiro’s schedule lines up like a trail of well-placed clues. Home games against Tennessee and Chicago, plus a dome trip to Indy in Week 16, give him a projected 12.6 fantasy points per game – the highest of all our graded kickers. And yet, like any good hidden treasure, he’s sitting unclaimed on plenty of waiver wires.

If you’re looking to eliminate uncertainty during your playoff run, Pineiro is as close as you’ll get to an X marking the spot.

Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals | 27% rostered

Meerschaum Pipe

Much like Pinerio, Evan McPherson is one of those rare kickers who feels like a clue you uncover later in the treasure hunt that ties everything together. The season may have started quietly for the Bengals veteran, but the offense has found its footing with the return of QB Joe Burrow, and McPherson has climbed right back into form. Through 13 weeks, he’s the K6, and since Week 7, he’s been consistently delivering with 2.3 field goal attempts and three extra-point attempts per game. 

Our adjusted projections give McPhereson the fifth-best fantasy playoff schedule, and the data backs it up. Two of Cincinnati’s three opponents from Weeks 15 through 17 – Baltimore and Arizona – rank among the bottom four in fantasy points allowed to kickers. In treasure-hunting terms, that’s about as clear a marker as you’ll get. How about this for a nugget of gold – the Bengals are the 6th least likely team to “go for it” on 4th down in the NFL. And do you know what that means? More kicks. McPherson’s specialty.

There’s no hidden cipher here. If McPherson is sitting on your waiver wire, don’t leave him there. Grab the clue before someone else follows the map.

Week 15 Streamer:

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | 27% rostered

The Playfair Cipher

Starting big-legged Vikings kicker Will Reichard has been the fantasy equivalent of a National Treasure clue – sometimes it leads you straight to an 18-point haul, other times it turns out to be a dead end, like last week’s goose egg against Seattle. But just like in the movie, the “problem” isn’t the clue itself. Reichard has been rock solid: only two misses all season and eight makes from 50-plus yards. The real issue is the Minnesota offense, which has spent most of the year trying to decode its own quarterback puzzle.

With J.J. McCarthy returning from his concussion, things should improve only slightly (think Ian Howe squinting at the Silence Dogood letters). But in Week 15, it won’t matter. That’s when the Vikings head to Dallas. The Cowboys’ defense has improved lately (as we discussed in Part 1), and McCarthy will likely struggle. I won’t sit here and lead you astray.

However, those struggles should put Minnesota in enough “we can’t crack the vault, but we can definitely disable one laser” situations to get Reichard into field goal range multiple times. And if there’s one thing we can trust, it’s that Minnesota won’t get into the end zone. In fact, of their red-zone drives that don’t end in the end zone, 87.5% result in FG attempts. That is good for third in the NFL. Or ‘bad’ for third, I don’t know. But the point is, even if they get close, they kick a lot of FGs. Which, of course, is good for our guy Reichard.

Week 16 Streamer:

Riley Patterson, Miami Dolphins | 2% rostered

Embed from Getty Images

Wood Carving

Somehow, Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has been hiding in plain sight this season. He’s the fantasy equivalent of a clue sitting right there on the back of the Declaration of Independence, yet everyone keeps walking past it. It hasn’t been flashy, but since taking over for Jason Sanders in Week 2, Patterson has quietly climbed to K9 in total points, turning Miami’s flawed-but-functional offense into steady production.

Like the Vikings, the Dolphins aren’t exactly operating like a well-oiled team, but they’re not disastrous either (shout out De’Von Achane). And Patterson has taken full advantage: eight straight made field goals over the last three games, three from 40+, only one missed PAT, and a clean 10.3 fantasy points per game. Not bad for a guy most managers still think is just another name on the waiver wire. 

While he doesn’t stand out in any particular metric, that’s kind of Patterson’s whole schtick. He’s just kinda always there, hangin’ around the top 10. In fact, his most outstanding metric is that Miami scores a TD on only 56.5% of their red zone trips, which is the 11th-worst in the NFL. And what are teams doing if they’re not scoring TDs from up close? That’s right, they’re kicking FGs. 

Week 16 brings Miami home against Cincinnati. Burrow’s return has their offense humming again, and a shootout is firmly on the table. If the Dolphins have to keep pace, Patterson could kick himself into a top-five finish, doing his best impression of Benjamin Gates piecing together the final clue.

Week 17 Streamer:

Joey Slye, Tennessee Titans | 1% rostered

Surrender your hand to the heart of the warrior

Week 17 is the fantasy championships in most leagues, and in tight matchups, a kicker can turn a good season into a trophy run. If you already secured one of the reliable long-haul options, great, you’ve uncovered one of the hidden clues. But for those still hunting on waivers, Titans kicker Joey Slye is a solid find with a matchup that could deliver.

Tennessee has mostly been playing for pride and draft position, but Cam Ward has shown some improvement, and the offense is at least moving the ball into scoring range. Over the last four games, Slye has been flawless, hitting six field goals and six extra points. He’s not flashy, but in a week where every point matters, steady hands can feel like discovering a secret passing in a centuries-old vault.

You know a team is bad when they’re bottom 5 in how often a team scores a TD when they get to the red zone (Tennessee is 3rd), and top 10 in how often they attempt a field goal in the red zone trips that don’t end in a TD (9th). But you know who it’s good for? One Mr. Joey Slye. There’s not much good to take out of Tennessee this year, but Slye is probably the least-bad.

Week 17 brings the Tyler Shough-led Saints to Nashville, a team that struggles to keep opponents out of the end zone and ranks sixth in fantasy points allowed to kickers. A competitive game should send Slye into action multiple times, giving him a chance to turn those opportunities into fantasy gold.

If you’re still looking for an edge heading into the championship, Slye is the kind of hidden gem that can quietly tip the scales in your favor.

Takeaways:

Does it feel more comfortable to go full-on Ron Popeil with your kicker and ‘set it and forget it’? Yeah, it probably does.

But we don’t play fantasy football because we want to be comfortable. We do it to compete, to win, to humiliate our friends and take their money. You might say we do it to seek lost treasure. For those of us who eschew the dominant kicker because we don’t feel like spending a 10th-round pick on one, this is for you. To prove once and for all that yes, you can win a championship by rifling through what others deem garbage.

To find the singular path to the treasure that you seek. That cup, that belt, that ring, those bragging rights.

If you are wondering which defenses to stream for the playoffs, make sure to check out Part 1.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Just when you thought the map was complete, another clue reveals itself. Sure, you’ve uncovered the right defenses to stash for the fantasy playoffs (if you haven’t, go check out Part 1), but every great treasure hunt has a second chamber, a hidden compartment, a final piece that pulls the whole plan together. And in fantasy football, that missing piece is sometimes the position no one wants to talk about: kickers.

#national treasure from WELCOME TO FILMREEL

But that’s exactly why they matter. While your league mates shrug and scroll past them, we’ve stayed locked in, like Benjamin Franklin Gates (aka Nicholas Cage) staring at a centuries-old cipher. We followed the breadcrumbs, studied the playoff environments, tracked the domes, the weather, the red zone tendencies, and dug through the waiver-wire archives to uncover the kickers perfectly placed to swing a matchup when it matters most. 

You already have the defenses (again, check out Part 1). Now it’s time to complete the treasure map. No, we’re still not stealing the Declaration of Independence, but we are about to steal you a few more playoff wins.

The Book of Secrets: Kicker Streamers That Complete Your Playoff Plan (Part 2)

How This Works:

“Oh my gosh, you guys make these charts so difficult to understand!”

You know what, you’re right. We heard you. This chart is as simple as it gets, but still, let’s take a walk through it. 

Columns A and B are the kicker’s name and the team they kick for. Pretty straightforward.

Columns C, E, and G are the matchups for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively, and they indicate either home (vs) or away (@). We also ranked them, and they’re color-coded to make it easy on the eyes! Important Note: The colors indicate where a matchup is average, marginally/significantly better than average, or marginally/significantly worse than average.

Columns D, F, and H are the projected scores for Weeks 15, 16, and 17, respectively. Nope, nothing fancy, that’s what they are.

Column J is the average of Columns D, F, and H. Again, nothing too fancy. Just the average.

Column I is the grades that are based on the scores in Column J. Just like before, the grades and colors associated with them show where a grade is average (C), marginally/significantly better than average (B/A), or marginally/significantly worse than average (D/F).

a man is asking could it really be that simple

“But kickers are random. Why is this any better?”

Boy, it sure feels that way, doesn’t it? They feel so random because most projection systems only use implied totals, or how much Las Vegas expects a team to score in a given week, when projecting kickers. The problem is that the method has only a .127 correlation with kicker fantasy scoring. That means it’s barely better than flipping a coin to determine their score. Random!

So what our fabulous team did was develop a rigorous testing and projection method. We’re not going to bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that our method climbed all the way up to .839 correlation. Is it perfect? Heck no! But for those of you following along at home, that’s 6.6 times better than using implied totals alone. So we might always get it right, but we’re going to be in the neighborhood a lot more often than not.

****NOTE: The Indianapolis Colts have been removed from this chart as they waived their kicker, Michael Badgley, on Tuesday.****

Kickers For The Long Haul:

Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers | 11% rostered

Bifocals

The 49ers are getting veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) back just in time for their own late-season treasure hunt: a run at the NFC West crown. Pinerio has missed three games this year, but when he has been on the field, he’s been producing like a rare artifact everyone somehow overlooks. Heading into San Francisco’s bye, he ranks as the K5 in fantasy points per game.

Pinerio’s been nearly flawless this season, with his only blemishes coming on extra points. And if there’s one thing Kyle Shanahan loves, it’s handing Pineiro the metaphorical map and saying, “Go ahead, see how far you can take this.” The veteran has drilled all eight attempts from beyond 40 yards and all six from 50-plus, the kind of long-range accuracy that feels like unlocking a secret chamber when your matchup is too close for comfort. 

There is little Kyle Shanahan likes doing more than kicking FGs, even when he shouldn’t, bless his heart. The 49ers are second in the NFL at kicking FGs on red-zone trips that don’t end in TDs, at 88.9%. Go for it on 4th down? Perish the thought. Try for the goal line one more time and that TD? Don’t be silly! Kick those FGs!

Once the 49ers return in Week 15, Pineiro’s schedule lines up like a trail of well-placed clues. Home games against Tennessee and Chicago, plus a dome trip to Indy in Week 16, give him a projected 12.6 fantasy points per game – the highest of all our graded kickers. And yet, like any good hidden treasure, he’s sitting unclaimed on plenty of waiver wires.

If you’re looking to eliminate uncertainty during your playoff run, Pineiro is as close as you’ll get to an X marking the spot.

Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals | 27% rostered

Meerschaum Pipe

Much like Pinerio, Evan McPherson is one of those rare kickers who feels like a clue you uncover later in the treasure hunt that ties everything together. The season may have started quietly for the Bengals veteran, but the offense has found its footing with the return of QB Joe Burrow, and McPherson has climbed right back into form. Through 13 weeks, he’s the K6, and since Week 7, he’s been consistently delivering with 2.3 field goal attempts and three extra-point attempts per game. 

Our adjusted projections give McPhereson the fifth-best fantasy playoff schedule, and the data backs it up. Two of Cincinnati’s three opponents from Weeks 15 through 17 – Baltimore and Arizona – rank among the bottom four in fantasy points allowed to kickers. In treasure-hunting terms, that’s about as clear a marker as you’ll get. How about this for a nugget of gold – the Bengals are the 6th least likely team to “go for it” on 4th down in the NFL. And do you know what that means? More kicks. McPherson’s specialty.

There’s no hidden cipher here. If McPherson is sitting on your waiver wire, don’t leave him there. Grab the clue before someone else follows the map.

Week 15 Streamer:

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | 27% rostered

The Playfair Cipher

Starting big-legged Vikings kicker Will Reichard has been the fantasy equivalent of a National Treasure clue – sometimes it leads you straight to an 18-point haul, other times it turns out to be a dead end, like last week’s goose egg against Seattle. But just like in the movie, the “problem” isn’t the clue itself. Reichard has been rock solid: only two misses all season and eight makes from 50-plus yards. The real issue is the Minnesota offense, which has spent most of the year trying to decode its own quarterback puzzle.

With J.J. McCarthy returning from his concussion, things should improve only slightly (think Ian Howe squinting at the Silence Dogood letters). But in Week 15, it won’t matter. That’s when the Vikings head to Dallas. The Cowboys’ defense has improved lately (as we discussed in Part 1), and McCarthy will likely struggle. I won’t sit here and lead you astray.

However, those struggles should put Minnesota in enough “we can’t crack the vault, but we can definitely disable one laser” situations to get Reichard into field goal range multiple times. And if there’s one thing we can trust, it’s that Minnesota won’t get into the end zone. In fact, of their red-zone drives that don’t end in the end zone, 87.5% result in FG attempts. That is good for third in the NFL. Or ‘bad’ for third, I don’t know. But the point is, even if they get close, they kick a lot of FGs. Which, of course, is good for our guy Reichard.

Week 16 Streamer:

Riley Patterson, Miami Dolphins | 2% rostered

Embed from Getty Images

Wood Carving

Somehow, Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has been hiding in plain sight this season. He’s the fantasy equivalent of a clue sitting right there on the back of the Declaration of Independence, yet everyone keeps walking past it. It hasn’t been flashy, but since taking over for Jason Sanders in Week 2, Patterson has quietly climbed to K9 in total points, turning Miami’s flawed-but-functional offense into steady production.

Like the Vikings, the Dolphins aren’t exactly operating like a well-oiled team, but they’re not disastrous either (shout out De’Von Achane). And Patterson has taken full advantage: eight straight made field goals over the last three games, three from 40+, only one missed PAT, and a clean 10.3 fantasy points per game. Not bad for a guy most managers still think is just another name on the waiver wire. 

While he doesn’t stand out in any particular metric, that’s kind of Patterson’s whole schtick. He’s just kinda always there, hangin’ around the top 10. In fact, his most outstanding metric is that Miami scores a TD on only 56.5% of their red zone trips, which is the 11th-worst in the NFL. And what are teams doing if they’re not scoring TDs from up close? That’s right, they’re kicking FGs. 

Week 16 brings Miami home against Cincinnati. Burrow’s return has their offense humming again, and a shootout is firmly on the table. If the Dolphins have to keep pace, Patterson could kick himself into a top-five finish, doing his best impression of Benjamin Gates piecing together the final clue.

Week 17 Streamer:

Joey Slye, Tennessee Titans | 1% rostered

Surrender your hand to the heart of the warrior

Week 17 is the fantasy championships in most leagues, and in tight matchups, a kicker can turn a good season into a trophy run. If you already secured one of the reliable long-haul options, great, you’ve uncovered one of the hidden clues. But for those still hunting on waivers, Titans kicker Joey Slye is a solid find with a matchup that could deliver.

Tennessee has mostly been playing for pride and draft position, but Cam Ward has shown some improvement, and the offense is at least moving the ball into scoring range. Over the last four games, Slye has been flawless, hitting six field goals and six extra points. He’s not flashy, but in a week where every point matters, steady hands can feel like discovering a secret passing in a centuries-old vault.

You know a team is bad when they’re bottom 5 in how often a team scores a TD when they get to the red zone (Tennessee is 3rd), and top 10 in how often they attempt a field goal in the red zone trips that don’t end in a TD (9th). But you know who it’s good for? One Mr. Joey Slye. There’s not much good to take out of Tennessee this year, but Slye is probably the least-bad.

Week 17 brings the Tyler Shough-led Saints to Nashville, a team that struggles to keep opponents out of the end zone and ranks sixth in fantasy points allowed to kickers. A competitive game should send Slye into action multiple times, giving him a chance to turn those opportunities into fantasy gold.

If you’re still looking for an edge heading into the championship, Slye is the kind of hidden gem that can quietly tip the scales in your favor.

Takeaways:

Does it feel more comfortable to go full-on Ron Popeil with your kicker and ‘set it and forget it’? Yeah, it probably does.

But we don’t play fantasy football because we want to be comfortable. We do it to compete, to win, to humiliate our friends and take their money. You might say we do it to seek lost treasure. For those of us who eschew the dominant kicker because we don’t feel like spending a 10th-round pick on one, this is for you. To prove once and for all that yes, you can win a championship by rifling through what others deem garbage.

To find the singular path to the treasure that you seek. That cup, that belt, that ring, those bragging rights.

If you are wondering which defenses to stream for the playoffs, make sure to check out Part 1.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

By Published On: December 3rd, 2025

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