RADIO
Week 14 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.
Week 14 is upon us, and the fantasy regular season is over. The playoffs are what we have spent the past few months or even longer researching for, and the decisions we make right now matter more than any we have made to this point.
Every team is scrapping for position, and, with weather issues slowing offenses down, we are seeing kickers getting more and more opportunities on the field. In Week 13, there were three kickers with at least 14 points on the week.
Kickers have several good matchups in Week 14, and we could see even more big performances this week. Kickers can put a team over the top in the playoffs, and you have to focus on the smallest details to end up with the right choices. That's what I'm for, so let's get into it.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge is back with a massive $500,000 grand prize and $1.35 million total prize pool, paying down to 800th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 10 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The 7,250 entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 10th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $500,000! Sign Up Now!
Week 14 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings
Tier 1 NFL Kickers
1. Wil Lutz (NO) @ TB
2. Stephen Gostkowski (NE) @ MIA
3. Mike Badgley (LAC) vs CIN
4. Chris Boswell (PIT) @ OAK
5. Greg Zuerlein (LAR) @ CHI
The New Orleans Saints stumbled hard last week. They get a get-right game this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Lutz should be very active this week. Gostkowski and the New England Patriots dominate their division. Against the Miami Dolphins struggling defense, he should see his fair share of work. Badgley and the Los Angeles Chargers have been on a role as of late. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are a far different team right now, he'll continue to be a consistent option.
Boswell and the Pittsburgh Steelers offense don't look as potent as they did in past years, but the Oakland Raiders defense is always a good fix for that. Zuerlein and the Los Angeles Rams got the win last week, although it was a little ugly. Against a great Chicago Bears defense, he could be kicking more field goals than he normally does.
Tier 2 NFL Kickers
6. Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) vs IND
7. Dan Bailey (MIN) @ SEA
8. Josh Lambo (JAX) @ TEN
9. Harrison Butker (KC) vs BAL
10. Justin Tucker (BAL) @ KC
Fairbairn and the Houston Texans will not go away as they have now won nine games straight. Fairbairn was a major part of last week's win with five made field goals. Against an offensive juggernaut Indianapolis Colts, they'll need to score a lot of points. Bailey and the Minnesota Vikings struggled mightily against the Patriots last week. They have a better matchup with the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. Lambo and the Jacksonville Jaguars got an ugly win last week, and they should score better this weekend.
Butker and the Kansas City Chiefs have a tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens this week, but they'll still put points on the board, which will keep Butker busy. Tucker and the Ravens aren't normally an elite offensive unit. Against the Chiefs defense that allows just about everyone to put up points, he'll have plenty of scoring opportunities.
Tier 3 NFL Kickers
11. Aldrick Rosas (NYG) @ WAS
12. Brandon McManus (DEN) @ SF
13. Adam Vinatieri (IND) @ HOU
14. Mason Crosby (GB) vs ATL
15. Graham Gano (CAR) @ CLE
Rosas and the New York Giants showed what they are capable of last week when they knocked off the Bears in overtime. They get an easier defensive matchup this week against the Washington Redskins. McManus and the Denver Broncos have snuck into the playoff conversation. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he should have plenty of opportunities to put up points. Vinatieri and the Indianapolis Colts struggled mightily last week. The Texans are no slouch on defense, but they still give up points.
The Packers changed their coach after their Week 13 loss. They receive a get-right game against the disappointing Atlanta Falcons defense that can give Crosby a chance to score some more points after a quiet week. Gano and the Carolina Panthers struggled against the Buccaneers last week, but they know what they have to do to make the playoffs. They need to win against the Cleveland Browns this week, and Gano will score a lot of points as a result.
Kickers to Avoid
Randy Bullock and the Cincinnati Bengals offense showed how much they relied on Andy Dalton last week, and they have now lost star wide receiver AJ Green for the season. The Bengals won't be scoring a ton of points this week, especially against the strong Chargers defense.
Jason Sanders and the Miami Dolphins squeaked out a win over the Bills last week, but they are playing the Patriots this week. They just held the Minnesota Vikings to 10 points. Things look bleak for the team from South Beach.
Jason Myers of the New York Jets had a great week last week. However, this week, they play a strong Buffalo Bills team that smacked them 41-10 a month ago. This game could very well turn out to be a low-scoring slugfest that doesn't bode well for Myers.
More Weekly Lineup Prep
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!
