Look, I get it. You’re probably rolling your eyes at another “sleeper kicker” article. But hear me out before you scroll to the waiver wire section of your fantasy app for the 47th time today. Brandon Aubrey isn’t just another leg attached to a Cowboys uniform; he’s the kind of fantasy asset that could quietly win you weeks while everyone else is debating whether to start their backup running back or that wide receiver who caught three passes in garbage time last week.
The Dallas kicker finished as the K1 in fantasy football last season, and frankly, it wasn’t even close. While you were obsessing over whether your star quarterback would throw for 300 yards, Aubrey was out there consistently putting up double-digit fantasy points like it was his day job (which, technically, it is).
Here’s where things get interesting, and where most fantasy managers completely whiffed on Aubrey’s value. The guy attempted 47 field goals last season, more than any other kicker in the NFL. You know what matters more than accuracy for fantasy kickers? Volume. And brother, the Cowboys gave Aubrey volume in spades.
Sure, he missed seven kicks. But when you’re getting that many opportunities, a few misses don’t crater your fantasy value. It’s basic math, which apparently isn’t taught in Fantasy Football 101. Aubrey’s 40 made field goals were tied for the most in the league, and those extra point attempts (he made 52 of 54) added up fast.
The Cowboys’ offense under Mike McCarthy has this beautiful habit of getting into scoring position but not quite finishing drives with touchdowns. For fantasy purposes, that’s gold. While other teams are punching it in from the one-yard line, Dallas is trotting out their kicker from 35 yards out. It’s not pretty football, but it’s profitable fantasy football.
Let’s talk about why Brandon Aubrey should continue to feast in 2025. The Cowboys’ red zone conversion rate has been mediocre at best over the past few seasons, hovering around league average. That might sound bad for the team, but it’s music to the ears of anyone who understands kicker fantasy value.
When teams struggle to punch it in from close range, guess who benefits? The guy wearing the different colored jersey who comes in to clean up the mess. Aubrey averaged 2.8 field goal attempts per game last season, which is absurd when you consider most kickers are lucky to see two attempts per week.
The Cowboys also play in a lot of close games, which keeps field goals relevant throughout four quarters. Unlike some teams that build big leads and start going for it on fourth down in the second half, Dallas has this endearing quality of keeping games interesting (read: stressful for Cowboys fans, profitable for Aubrey fantasy managers).
Most fantasy “experts” have Brandon Aubrey ranked somewhere between K3 and K5 for 2025, which is frankly insulting. These are the same people who probably told you to draft Justin Tucker in the eighth round for the past three years while he was busy shanking extra points and field goals like he was trying out for the local rec league.
The obsession with “accuracy” over volume is what separates casual fantasy managers from those who actually win their leagues. Aubrey’s 85% field goal conversion rate might not wow you on paper, but when you multiply that by the sheer number of attempts he’s getting, the math becomes obvious.
Compare that to a kicker like Jake Bates in Detroit, who everyone’s fawning over because he has a “cool story” and kicks the ball far. Know what Dan Campbell does when his team gets near the goal line? He goes for touchdowns. Revolutionary concept, right? Bates might nail a 60-yarder that goes viral on Twitter, but Aubrey’s going to out-score him by 40 fantasy points over the season.
Here’s what you need to know about targeting Brandon Aubrey in your fantasy drafts: he’s going to be undervalued, he’s going to have a clear path to elite production, and he’s going to do it while everyone else is chasing last year’s news.
The Cowboys’ offense isn’t going to magically become more efficient in the red zone overnight. Dak Prescott is still Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb is still going to run precise routes to the 15-yard line before the drive stalls, and Mike McCarthy is still going to make decisions that make you question his commitment to scoring touchdowns.
That’s not a knock on the Cowboys, it’s just reality. And in fantasy football, reality is often more profitable than optimism.
Draft Aubrey as your K1 and watch him quietly accumulate points while your league mates are streaming different kickers every week, chasing the latest hot waiver wire pickup who kicked two field goals in a blowout loss.
Brandon Aubrey represents everything you should want in a fantasy kicker: consistent opportunity, a team that generates offense but struggles to finish, and a coach who isn’t afraid to kick field goals instead of going for broke on fourth down.
While everyone else is getting cute with their kicker selections or completely ignoring the position until the final round (which, to be fair, is usually the right strategy), you can secure a legitimate difference-maker at a position that most people treat as an afterthought.
The Cowboys are going to kick a lot of field goals in 2025. Brandon Aubrey is going to make the most of them. And if you’re smart enough to draft him while everyone else is still living in the Justin Tucker era, you’re going to benefit from that reality every single week.
Sometimes fantasy football success isn’t about finding the next breakout star; it’s about identifying the guy who’s going to consistently do his job while playing for a team that’s going to give him plenty of opportunities to do it. That’s Brandon Aubrey in 2025.
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