Younghoe

Koo

Koo was dealing with a back injury and listed as limited earlier in the week. However, he was upgraded to a full participant and should be good to go in Week 12 against the Saints. Koo has converted on 21-of-22 field goal attempts this season and is 14-of-15 on extra points.

It puts Koo on track to suit up against the Saints, but kicker injuries are a whole different ballgame. If Koo does go, Saints/Falcons has all the hallmarks of a conservative field goal fest.

Younghoe Koo missed Wednesday’s practice with a back injury and seems iffy for Week 12 against the Saints. Wright, who has made 40 of his 46 NFL field goal tries, could sub in for Koo and make for a desperation fantasy play.

Koo currently ranks sixth in the NFL with 21 made field goals. His 95.4 percent accuracy is tied for fourth best among starting kickers. The Falcons are hoping that he can play, but back injuries can be notoriously fickle, so he will need to get in a practice before there can be any hope he plays. Fantasy managers should have a back-up option ready.

Koo is getting $11.5 million guaranteed. He was set to be a restricted free agent, but the Falcons are instead locking him up through his age-32 season. Koo is now the league’s second-highest paid kicker at $4.85 million per year, trailing only Justin Tucker at $5 million. Koo bounced around the league a bit with the Chargers and Patriots before settling in with the Falcons in 2019. He’s been dynamite in Atlanta, drilling 92.6% of his field goals, going 87-of-94 in three years, and 95.1% of his extra points in that span. He’s also 13-of-14 on field goals of 50-plus yards. Koo deserves the pay day.

That leaves Younghoe Koo, everyone’s favorite fantasy kicker, as the only kicker on Atlanta’s roster. Fry played one game for the Falcons and spent the entire 2020 season on the team’s practice squad.

Koo was an exclusive rights free agent, so this was the only game in town for him. After flopping with the Chargers in 2017, Koo has emerged as one of the league’s best, most creative kickers over the past two seasons. He drains field goals at nearly a 90 percent rate, is awesome from beyond 50 yards, and actually converts the occasional onside kick. He will be a candidate for a multi-year pact soon.

For those who still haven’t banned kickers in their league, just know Koo, fantasy’s overall K1, has been a prodigy with at least 12 fantasy points in six of Atlanta’s last seven games. It sounds like he’ll be good to go at home on Sunday.

Koo missed Week 4 with a groin injury suffered in the team’s Week 3 loss to the Bears. A full Wednesday practice likely means Koo will be back this week against the Panthers. Atlanta is a two-point favorite this week with an implied total of 28.25 points, making Koo a solid fantasy option in what should be a high-scoring contest. The Falcons will probably part ways with Elliott Fry, who subbed in for Koo last week.

Younghoe Koo (groin) is expected to miss at least a week, leaving the Falcons without a kicker for Monday night against Green Bay. Fry should suit up for Atlanta this week. He’s a desperation kicker option for a Falcons team that isn’t likely to face much positive game script -- a critical element of kicker opportunity -- against the Packers.