RADIO
Week 13 is here, and we are finally through all of the NFL bye weeks. All of our players are available unless they're injured, or suspended in the case of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette. Luckily, we don't care about that. All we care about is guys that can kick a football.
For a lot of fantasy footballers, this is the final week of the regular season. Maybe you need some help to get in the playoffs, you're in a win and you're in type of situation or you're already in. Whatever the case, you need to figure out who to start in your kicker spot.
For the first time in two months, we don't have to worry about byes, which makes choosing the right kicker all the more important. Nearly everyone will score some points, but only a few will score the points that can send you to the playoffs.
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Week 13 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings
Tier 1 NFL Kickers
1. Wil Lutz (NO) @ DAL
2. Harrison Butker (KC) vs OAK
3. Greg Zuerlein (LAR) @ DET
4. Graham Gano (CAR) @ TB
5. Sebastian Janikowski (SEA) vs SF
The New Orleans Saints offense is very possibly the best offense in football right now. Their combination of passing and running is similar to what helped them run roughshod over the NFL last season, and they should give Lutz plenty of scoring opportunities. Butker and the Chiefs play the Raiders defense at home. They should score just a few points. Zeurlein and the Rams put up 54 in Week 11. They won't get quite that many this week, but the Detroit Lions aren't exactly a lockdown unit.
Gano and the Carolina Panthers have been lighting up scoreboards as of late. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that should be expected this week. Janikowski and the Seattle Seahawks don't always win pretty, but they always find a way to win. Sometimes that means he kicks three or four field goals, and that is perfectly fine for fantasy.
Tier 2 NFL Kickers
6. Mike Badgley (LAC) @ PIT
7. Cody Parkey (CHI) @ NYG
8. Matt Prater (DET) vs LAR
9. Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) vs CLE
10. Justin Tucker (BAL) @ ATL
Badgley and the Chargers don't have the best location to kick in this matchup, but the injury to running back Melvin Gordon slows their offense a little. He could have more kicking opportunities this week as a result. Parkey and the Bears offense wasn't nearly as explosive without quarterback Mitch Trubisky, but he should be back this week against a struggling New York Giants team. Prater and the Lions struggle on defense, but their offense isn't too shabby, especially against this Rams defense.
Fairbairn and the Texans offense have slowly been building momentum in recent weeks. Against a Cleveland Browns unit that has been up and down this season, he should keep that momentum rolling. Tucker and the Ravens always seem to put points up on the board. Their defense keeps them in games, and, against a soft Atlanta Falcons defense, they should give Tucker multiple scoring opportunities.
Tier 3 NFL Kickers
11. Dan Bailey (MIN) @ NE
12. Stephen Gostkowski (NE) vs MIN
13. Adam Vinatieri (IND) @ JAX
14. Mason Crosby (GB) vs ARI
15. Matt Bryant (ATL) vs BAL
Bailey and the Vikings seem to be hitting their stride as of late, despite his kicking struggles against Green Bay. When their offense isn't clicking, the defense picks up the slack, and they will need to against the New England Patriots this week. Gostkowski and the Patriots are playing at home in November. They just seem destined to score at least 24 points this week. Vinatieri and the Colts are heading to Jacksonville against a team they scored 29 against a few weeks ago. Things should be similar this week.
The Packers are broken right now. However, Crosby's right leg isn't. At home, against a weak opponent, with their playoff lives on the line, this offense should come alive and keep Crosby active. Bryant and the Falcons have a tough matchup this week against the Ravens. Thankfully, they are getting to play at home, and their offense should be good enough to keep him relevant.
Kickers to Avoid
Randy Bullock and the Cincinnati Bengals offense just got hit with a major hamstring. Quarterback Andy Dalton is on injured reserve, and there is no way to know what they will look like. Against a good Denver Broncos defense, it gets even worse.
Aldrick Rosas and the New York Giants offense can look like a near-elite unit at times. Unfortunately, they are playing an elite offense this week that has a knack for killing drives with sacks. The Giants are in scary territory this week.
Jason Myers and the New York Jets have been one of the most confusing teams in football this season. However, they have much more down than up as of late. Against a Tennessee Titans defense that has played well for much of the season, Myers could be spending more time than usual on the sideline.
More Weekly Lineup Prep
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