Kickers to Start in Week 5: Fantasy Tiers & Rankings

RotoBaller analyzes which kickers (K) to sit or start, and provides his Week 5 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL kickers. Starting the right kicker in fantasy football can be a game changer.

Yes, that's right - kickers. After all, points are points, and even though kickers are very difficult to predict for fantasy points week to week, having the right one in your Week 5 lineup could be a difference maker.

For those of you fantasy football owners out there who are streaming kickers, RotoBaller has got you covered with around-the-league analysis of the Week 5 NFL matchups.  This week shouldn't be an issue with bye weeks, unlike Week 4, meaning there should plenty of waiver wire streamers and sleepers if needed.

We’re here to give you our analysis to help make your kicker streaming decisions and make your Week 5 lineup decisions a bit easier. Some of these kickers may have good Week 5 matchups, and be available on your league’s waiver wire. Be sure to stay on top of the weekly NFL matchups and kicker opponents right here. Good luck RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

Teams that have bye weeks in Week 5: Miami Dolphins & Oakland Raiders

Week 5 Kickers: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1: New England Patriots (Stephen Gostkowski), Philadelphia Eagles (Cody Parkey), Jacksonville Jaguars (Josh Scobee)

These tier 1 kickers should be able to score points based on their opponents and game situations. The Patriots aren't scoring many touchdowns, but should be able to get into range for some field goals against the tough Bengals defense. The Eagles still have a great offense, but aren't scoring as many touchdowns. Parkey is a good kicker and should have plenty of chances against a softer Rams defense. The Jaguars face an unimpressive Pittsburgh defense. Bortles should be able to move the ball against the Steelers and create kicking opportunities for Scobee.

Tier 2: St. Louis Rams (Greg Zuerlein), Chicago Bears (Robbie Gould), New York Jets (Nick Folk), Baltimore Ravens (Justin Tucker), Indianapolis Colts (Adam Vinatieri), Denver Broncos (Brandon McManus)

The fantasy football kickers that you'll find in tier 2 are still very reliable kickers have good matchups or a long track record. The Rams have a favorable matchup against the Eagle defense and may need their kicker to keep pace. Robbie Gould is always a reliable option with the Bears explosive offense on his side. Nick Folk seems to get work with the Jets horrific red zone efficiency, so he makes a decent start week to week. Justin Tucker and the Ravens draw the Colts favorable defense in an indoor stadium; factor in a high-scoring potential and he's looking good for Week 5. Adam Vinatieri will be a tier 2 kicker until the day he retires (enough said). And last but not least, Matt Prater's replacement, Brandon McManus, draws a nice home matchup for his last week as the Broncos starting kicker.

Tier 3: Cleveland Browns (Billy Cundiff), Tennessee Titans (Ryan Succop), Green Bay Packers (Mason Crosby), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Patrick Murray), Washington Redskins (Kai Forbath), Atlanta Falcons (Matt Bryant)

Tier 3 is the last of the easily passable kickers for Week 5. Former Browns' great Billy Cundiff gets the Texans on the road, so expect opportunities. Ryan Succop and the Titans get the Browns' low-end defense, so you may want to take advantage if you're in a pinch. Mason Crosby is always a nice name brand to plug in when your kicker is on bye week (or just stinks). Patrick Murray has been doing work in Tampa Bay this year and draws one of the most favorable matchups of the week versus the Saints. Kai Forbath is a questionable start against the Seahawks, but we've seen riskier plays succeed at the wild card kicker position. Rounding us off for tier 3 is Atlanta's Matt Bryant who travels to Dirty Jerz to face off with the Giants newly impressive west coast offense, so both teams may need their kickers depending on weather conditions and game flow.

Tier 4: Kansas City Chiefs (Cairo Santos), New York Giants (Josh Brown), New Orleans Saints (Shayne Graham), Houston Texans (Randy Bullock), Pittsburgh Steelers (Shaun Suisham), Detroit Lions (Alex Henery), Dallas Cowboys (Dan Bailey), Buffalo Bills (Dan Carpenter), Seattle Seahawks (Steven Hauschka)

Tier 4 has our favorite kicker sleeper Cairo Santos. Points may be scarce versus the 49ers this week, but the Brazilian-American will get his chances to score. Josh Brown may be cleaning up for Eli, but the Falcons have a weak defense which may lead to more touchdowns than field goals. Shayne Graham should be better considering half his games are kicked indoors; get him in this week at home. Randy Bullock has been serviceable at worst this season, so don't be scared to use him in a pinch because he gets the high scoring Cowboys in Week 5. Shaun Suisham is often the forgotten man kicking for the Steelers high profile offense, but this guy can contribute any given week with his team being on the field a lot for offensive situations (because their defense is horrific). Alex Henery can be useful at home in Detroit, but gets the lowly Bills in Week 5, so the touchdowns may outweigh the field goals once again in this contest. Dan Bailey is always one of our favorite kickers for the week because he kicks indoors half the time and plays for a superstar offense. If you own him, use him - and if not, see if you can snag him off the wire. Dan Carpenter should be avoided this week against the tough Lions defense. And Steven Hauschka and the Seahawks' offense will look to put up some big points against the Redskins.

Tier 5: Carolina Panthers (Graham Gano), Minnesota Vikings (Blair Walsh), San Francisco 49ers (Phil Dawson), San Diego Chargers (Nick Novak), Cincinnati Bengals (Mike Nugent), Arizona Cardinals (Chandler Catanzaro)

Carolina stinks on offense, so Graham Gano is always a sleeper to boot a few in. Blair Walsh plays indoors, but has the Packers on the road in Week 5, so he can be avoided. Phil Dawson was unimpressive early, but has a chance to finish as a Top 12 kicker in 2014 based on the 49ers offensive inefficiency. Nick "The Kick" Novak is always on our streaming radar from week to week, and will be very useful in Week 5 against the lowly Jets' defense. If you want a flier, Mike Nugent has the range to knock them in from 50+, but the Bengals rarely give him a chance as they continue to score touchdowns at a high rate. Rounding off tier 5 is Cardinals' kicker Chandler Catanzaro; he can be avoided until the Cardinals' worst-overall-yardage offense finds a way to move the ball downfield more to give everyone better scoring chances.