Ka'imi Fairbairn

Fairbairn has been Houston's kicker ever since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017, converting 87.1 percent of field-goal attempts and 92.4 percent of PATs across seven seasons. He led the league with 37 field goals in his second season but then faded from fantasy relevance for a few years while the Texans tried to find their footing without QB Deshaun Watson. The team rebounded in a big way last season under rookie QB C.J. Stroud, and Fairbairn went along for the ride with 9.3 fantasy points per game (third most among kickers). In addition to his solid track record for short-range accuracy, Fairbairn has made at least three kicks of 50-plus yards every season, going 29 of 40 overall (72.5 percent) from long range. He should stay busy in 2024 after the Texans added WR Stefon Diggs to an already-potent offense.

Fairbairn was fantastic last season and didn't miss a game, yet he only tied for 17th in fantasy scoring because of a lack of PAT volume. He made 29 of his 31 FGAs, including all six from 50-plus yards, lifting his career rate on field goals to 85.5 percent. He also hit all 24 of his PATs, giving him a career rate of 92 percent. A return to fantasy relevance could be coming in the not-so-distant future if No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud pans out at quarterback, but it's a longshot for Fairbairn this season with the rookie throwing to a subpar group of pass catchers and likely experiencing some growing pains.

2021 represented the worst season of Fairbairn's five-year career as the veteran converted just 79 percent of his attempts across 13 games. The Texans as a team combined for the third- fewest field-goal attempts of any team last season, and it could be more of the same this season with Davis Mills in line for most of the QB snaps. The one thing working in Fairbairn's favor, seemingly, is job security.

Fairbairn led the NFL in both field goals made and attempted back in 2018, but he's otherwise finished 13th or lower in kicker fantasy scoring each year, making 84.8 percent of field-goal tries and 91.9 percent of PATs. He's a solid kicker with strong job security in the second season of a four-year, $17.65 million contract, but there's not a ton of fantasy upside given the limitations of Houston's roster.

Fairbairn fell way off from his 2018 production, losing both volume and accuracy in 2019. Houston's offense didn't progress the way many expected, but it did improve in the red zone, thereby dropping Fairbairn from the No. 1 fantasy spot in 2018 to No. 19 last year. He should split the difference in 2020, but he's essentially a league-average kicker attached to an offense looking for an identity change.

An unexpected scoring leader last year, Fairbairn benefited from a Houston offense ranked 15th in yards (363 per game) and 27th in red-zone TD rate (50 percent). Harrison Butker was the only kicker with more cumulative opportunities between field goals and extra points, with Fairbairn getting a boost from Houston's strong play on defense. Accuracy helps his cause, but some of 2018's FGs will become PATs.

Fairbairn beat out Nick Novak in a kicking battle last season, then had a quiet debut campaign on a miserable team. The 24-year-old did enjoy a couple big games before Deshaun Watson was injured, and he made nine of 11 attempts from 40 yards or longer. The downside was a trio of misses from inside 40 yards and three more misses on PATs. Fairbairn could become a productive option if Watson returns healthy and proves to be a star.

Fairbairn surprisingly beat out incumbent Nick Novak to win the kicking battle in Houston. This is not an insignificant development. Novak finished second in the NFL with 41 field-goal attempts in 2016. Much of that had to do with a Texans' offense that had difficulty finishing drives. Houston's quarterback play this season may only be marginally better as an untested Tom Savage directing the offense, meaning Fairbairn's leg could be an important part of the offense.