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Week 15 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 over, and, for some of us, so is our fantasy season. For those of you that are still going, congratulations are in order. Kickers become all the more important during the playoffs, as the weather is getting colder, and the best players are even more difficult to predict.
Week 15 is here, and we have a number of players that will be looking to bounce back after quiet weeks in Week 14. Fantasy stalwarts like Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein and Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus saw their scores take a hit due to offensive struggles.
It's time to dig deep and make the right call here. Don't be that guy that cycles through seven kickers over the course of the week to decide on the final guy. Pick the right one, and start him with confidence. Kick back and relax, and let your kicker work get taken care of for you.
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Week 15 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings
Tier 1 NFL Kickers
1. Sebastian Janikowski (SEA) @ SF
2. Justin Tucker (BAL) vs TB
3. Harrison Butker (KC) vs LAC
4. Greg Zuerlein (LAR) vs PHI
5. Wil Lutz (NO) @ CAR
Janikowski and the Seattle Seahawks have been rolling as of late. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he should have a ton of scoring opportunities, especially in the good Bay Area weather. Tucker and the Baltimore Ravens are always putting points on the board. With an inefficient offense against a soft Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, Tucker will rejoin the top tier this week. Butker and the Kansas City Chiefs don't have an easy matchup this week against the Los Angeles Chargers, but they will still do just fine.
Zuerlein and the Los Angeles Rams offense was nearly nonexistent against the Chicago Bears. Against a much weaker Philadelphia Eagles defense, they shouldn't have any trouble getting their mojo rolling again. Lutz and the New Orleans Saints got back to their scoring ways in Week 14, and they will plan to keep that up against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers aren't a sieve, but they aren't the group that helped them get to the Super Bowl a few years ago either.
Tier 2 NFL Kickers
6. Mike Badgley (LAC) @ KC
7. Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) @ NYJ
8. Brett Maher (DAL) @ IND
9. Stephen Hauschka (BUF) vs DET
10. Stephen Gostkowski (NE) @ PIT
Badgley and the Los Angeles Chargers are going on the road to take on one of the worst defenses in the NFL in the Chiefs. It can quickly turn into a shootout if both offenses are clicking, and the Chargers have been clicking as of late. Fairbairn and the Houston Texans offense have been moving the ball rather well lately. Against the New York Jets in Week 15, Fairbairn will have multiple scoring opportunities to give him solid value.
Maher and the Dallas Cowboys are rolling right now. Hot off their exciting overtime win over the Eagles, he will be looking to put up points in a likely shootout against the Indianapolis Colts. Hauschka and the Buffalo Bills offense has been getting their act together over the course of the season. Against the Detroit Lions, that should continue. Gostkowski and the New England Patriots lost a brutal matchup against the Miami Dolphins. This week, they'll be taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers who give up plenty of points.
Tier 3 NFL Kickers
11. Aldrick Rosas (NYG) vs TEN
12. Josh Lambo (JAX) vs WAS
13. Matt Bryant (ATL) vs ARI
14. Cody Parkey (CHI) vs GB
15. Graham Gano (CAR) vs NO
Rosas and the New York Giants showed Week 13 wasn't a fluke. Against a Tennessee Titans defense that has been vulnerable at times, they will have plenty of opportunities to build on that momentum. Lambo and the Jacksonville Jaguars got rolled last week. However, the Washington Redskins are the perfect get right game for them. Bryant and the Atlanta Falcons got steamrolled by the Green Bay Packers last week. Against the lowly Arizona Cardinals, they'll be looking to build some momentum for the offseason.
Parkey and the Chicago Bears showed last week that even when their offense isn't performing at it's fullest potential, they will still put up points. They abused the Packers in Week 1, and their defense has only gotten better. This could be another defensive struggle game. Gano and the Carolina Panthers aren't shutting teams down, but their offense is always consistent. Against a New Orleans Saints group that has struggled at times, he should have some solid opportunities in Week 15.
Kickers to Avoid
Brandon McManus and the Denver Broncos have been a very inconsistent team this season. After the loss of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the offense has been massively hindered, and the Cleveland Browns don't expect to make it any easier on him.
Dustin Hopkins and the Washington Redskins looked absolutely miserable against the New York Giants last week. Their matchup doesn't get much better against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With their fourth-string quarterback under center, avoid the Redskins at all costs.
Mason Crosby of the Green Bay Packers has been pretty consistent over the past couple months, but they have a brutal matchup this week. The Chicago Bears just made the Los Angeles Rams look like a JV football squad. He has some value, but it isn't a ton.
More Weekly Lineup Prep
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!
