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Week 11 ranks, tiers, and start/sit advice for fantasy football kickers. Gage Bridgford (@GBridgfordNFL) lists his weekly K rankings and players to avoid based on matchup, weather, and team context.
It's Week 11, and we're getting closer and closer to the fantasy football playoffs. The consistent options are getting more and more clear, especially at the kicking position. We're also going to start dealing with everyone's favorite factor, which is inclement weather, especially up north.
The margin for error in these weeks is slim, and we have to scrap for every point that we can get. Kickers fly under the radar, but they still can help win your week. Six kickers finished with double digits in Week 10, which is more than Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
In Week 11, we have just four teams on a bye, and you're likely only going to be without two kickers in the form of Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby and Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers. You'll likely be dropping those guys, so here are some names you'll be hoping to pick up in their place.
Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.
Week 11 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings
Tier 1 NFL Kickers
1. Wil Lutz (NO) @ TB
2. Matt Gay (TB) vs NO
3. Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) @ BAL
4. Harrison Butker (KC) @ LAC
5. Justin Tucker (BAL) vs HOU
For the second straight week, New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz gets the top spot. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense continues to be swiss cheese which will give him plenty of chances to score. Behind Lutz, we have Buccaneers kicker Matt Gay. The Saints Defense is great, but this Buccaneers offense has been rolling. They should move the ball in what will be a shootout game. Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn is next up. This has been one of the best offenses in football over the last month. This game should be one of the highest-scoring of the week.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is getting the next spot in the rankings this week. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back and the Chiefs offense is going to put up points. In a big Monday night matchup, this should be a huge game for Butker. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is the final player in the top five. Baltimore has scored at least 23 points in every game this season, and they've gone for 30 or more in each of the last three. A shootout with Houston is about to make Tucker's leg tired.
Tier 2 NFL Kickers
6. Joey Slye (CAR) vs ATL
7. Brett Maher (DAL) @ DET
8. Nick Folk (NE) @ PHI
9. Daniel Carlson (OAK) vs CIN
10. Stephen Hauschka (BUF) @ MIA
Carolina Panthers kicker Joey Slye is next up in the rankings. Slye has been one of the best kickers in the NFL this year, and they have a big matchup with the surprising Atlanta Falcons. He should get scoring chances. Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher finds the next spot against a Detroit Lions team that is likely to be playing without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Maher and the offense have to treat this like a must-win game.
The New England Patriots changed kickers to Nick Folk. It doesn't matter though because their offense is going to move the ball and give him chances to score. Oakland Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson is next, and this is the first time I've ranked him this year. He gets the Cincinnati Bengals at home. This is a money matchup. Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka rounds out the second tier. The Bills need a win to get things back on track, and they scored a fair bit against the Miami Dolphins in the first matchup between these two teams.
Tier 3 NFL Kickers
11. Austin Seibert (CLE) vs PIT
12. Robbie Gould (SF) vs ARI
13. Chris Boswell (PIT) @ CLE
14. Zane Gonzalez (ARI) @ SF
15. Michael Badgley (LAC) vs KC
Cleveland Browns kicker Austin Seibert leads our third tier against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His offense has shown some recent life, but they've struggled in the red zone, which gives him scoring opportunities. San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould is next up. As long as he plays, his offense has a matchup against the bad Arizona Cardinals Defense. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell is next. The Steelers have won four straight, and they've all been tight games that Boswell has remained busy in. That should continue on Thursday night.
Cardinals kicker Zane Gonzalez gets the next spot in these rankings. This 49ers Defense is still outstanding, but the Cardinals are finding ways to move the ball and keep things interesting. Gonzalez has been reaping those rewards. The final spot goes to Los Angeles Chargers kicker Michael Badgley. Badgley and the Chargers are playing with house money at this point, and they have the chance to cause even more problems for a Chiefs Defense that hasn't been able to stop anyone.
Kickers to Avoid
Greg Zuerlein of the Los Angeles Rams is a rare mention in this part of the rankings. With multiple starting offensive linemen and wide receiver Brandin Cooks already out for next week against the Chicago Bears, I can't in good conscience start him. Some of you will start him anyway, and he may burn me. However, I'm ok getting burned by him this week.
Matt Prater is typically a lock for the top 15, but, if Stafford is out again next week, I don't want to risk the Lions moving the ball a lot. Prater has the boot to make just about any kick he gets the chance to, but I don't know how many chances he'll be getting.
Brandon McManus of the Denver Broncos gets this final spot. His young fill-in quarterback Brandon Allen played well against the struggling Browns, but this Minnesota Vikings Defense is a different animal. I don't see them getting a ton rolling in Week 11 on the road.
More Weekly Lineup Prep
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
