November 29, 2016

Jacob Valov's Week 13 tiered rankings & streamers for all NFL kickers. Fantasy football starts, sits, and waiver wire pickups for week seven of the 2016 season.

It’s Week 13 and it’s once again time for kicker rankings! This list is here to help all of us figure out who’s gonna kick for our teams this week, and make those streaming or start/sit decisions easier.

While finding a good FLEX and starting the right QB are crucial to winning your matchups, anyone who’s worth their salt will tell you the true X-factor in fantasy matchups can be the kicker.

Picking the right guy could net you 10 extra points any given Sunday, clinching you a victory, frustrating your opponents, and making you seem like a god amongst men - for you have proven to be the true Prophet of Special Teams. So buckle up buckaroos, things are bound to get wild as we dive into the mysterious world of kicker rankings...

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 13 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

Week 13 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1 NFL Kickers

1. Justin Tucker (vs MIA)
2. Stephen Gostkowski (vs LA)
3. Graham Gano (@ SEA)
4. Adam Vinatieri (@ NYJ)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again— these kicker rankings are inherently reactionary, and boy oh boy am I reacting to Justin Tucker. After Week 11’s miss-a-palooza, Justin Tucker continued his 2016 kicking perfection nailing three(!) 50-yard field goals in the first half of Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals. If you’re not missing and you’re automatic from long-distance, you’re the number one kicker— simple as that.

Seattle got exposed last week against a Tampa team that had no business beating them, and the Panthers are going to be hungry after blowing a comeback bid against the Raiders. While I expect Seattle’s defense to bounce back, I also see Ron Rivera taking careful notes about how the Bucs got Mike Evans so open so consistently, and using that plan to get Kelvin Benjamin looks. That being said, the Panthers' offense is as hot and cold as it gets, and against a tough red zone defense, Gano may have to be called on more often than the Panthers would like.

Tier 2 NFL Kickers

5. Dan Bailey (@ MIN)
6. Matt Bryant (vs KC)
7. Chandler Catanzaro (vs WAS)
8. Josh Lambo (vs TB)
9. Steven Hauschka (vs CAR)
10. Cairo Santos (@ ATL)

Bootenant Dan has been as great a kicker as you could ask for this season, with the Cowboys’ offensive powerhouse churning out points without breaking a sweat. While Minnesota’s defense has fallen off in recent weeks, they’re still as opportunistic as ever and may force a few turnovers, taking away some much-needed opportunities from Bailey. However, the ‘Boys have yet to be truly stopped, and I fully expect Bailey to get his regardless.

Hoosh-Money so low? Yep. Kickers make their real pointage on field goals, and as demonstrated on Sunday, the 2016 Panthers defense can get shredded whenever the opposing QB feels like shredding them, which means more extra points than field goals. Henceforth, Hauschka isn’t gonna put up the monster numbers he’d usually get.

Tier 3 NFL Kickers

11. Kai Forbath (vs DAL)
12. Connor Barth (vs SF)
13. Wil Lutz (vs DET)
14. Matt Prater (@ NO)
15. Sebastian Janikowski (vs BUF)

I’ve lovingly dubbed Tier 3 “The Extra Point Tier” this week, as that’s what defines all the kickers listed above. While each has a chance at a FG or two, I foresee the majority of their points coming from extra points, as many of their matchups should be blowouts. Forbath, Lutz, and Jano have the best shots at field goals, for different reasons, so if you’re looking for the upside plays— there they are.

Tier 4 NFL Kickers

16. Mason Crosby (vs HOU)
17. Dan Carpenter (@ OAK)
18. Phil Dawson (@ CHI)
19. Robbie Gould (@ PIT)

Robbie “Platinum” Gould has been a bit of a kicking disappointment so far this season. After a terrible miss last week, I’m down on one of my favorite kickers headed into Week 13. In a big matchup against a Pittsburgh team with their backs against the wall, the Giants are going to have to put up big points to stay in it, but Robbie can’t be trusted as much as we want to trust him, and so he drops to the fourth tier. Here’s to hoping we’ll see you up towards the top again soon, Robbie P.

Tier 5 NFL Kickers

20. Roberto Aguayo (@ SD)
21. Chris Boswell (vs NYG)
22. Caleb Sturgis (@ CIN)
23. Nick Novak (@ GB)
24. Brandon McManus (@ JAX)