5 Detroit Lions who could be sneaky fantasy football options this year

2. Whoever the kicker is

Combined four Lions kickers last season, and the numbers don’t look great (26-for-30 on field goals, 27-for-28 on extra points) and the total points (105) would have tied for 22nd in the league if it had been one kicker.

The training camp kicking battle is between Austin Seibert and Riley Patterson, with Seibert as the current favorite.

Both guys were fairly effective kicking for the Lions last year.  If not for landing on IR with a hip injury, Seibert might have keep the job more than six games.

Seibert, 2021: 10-for-12 on field goals (1-for-2 from 50-plus), 5-for-5 on extra points
Patterson, 2021 (seven games): 13-for-14 on field goals (13-for-13 under 50 yards), 16-for-16 on extra points

The Lions’ offense will be better this year, with pieces added around Jared Goff and a top-notch offensive line that will hopefully be on the field together all season. Better efficiency on third down will extend drives, and offer scoring opportunities.

Kickers are fading from the fantasy conscious a bit, but plenty of leagues still use them. Detroit’s kicker probably won’t be drafted late or auctioned for $1, but as the season goes on he could become very useful–and it won’t really matter if it’s Seibert (with a stronger leg) or Patterson.