September 29, 2016

Jacob Valov breaks down all fantasy football Week 4 kickers (K) -- streamers, sits and starts, and waiver wire pickups to add. His Week 4 (2016) rankings and tiers for all NFL kickers.

It’s Week 4 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 making 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...

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Week 4 Kickers To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1 NFL Kickers

1. Blair Walsh (vs NYG)
2. Steven Hauschka (@ NYJ)
3. Josh Brown (@ MIN)
4. Justin Tucker (vs OAK)
5. Stephen Gostkowski (vs BUF)

Blair Walsh tops the list this week for two reasons: 1) Sam Bradford looked lost for the first half of Sunday’s game against a tough Carolina defense (something I think will be repeated against a similarly stout New York defense this week) and 2) the Minnesota defense should tear apart the Giants’ offense and should continually set their offense up with great field position. When drives stall early as Bradford settles in, Walsh will be there to clean up the mess.

Josh Brown is in a similar situation (less than stellar offense going against a tough defense), but I don’t see Eli Manning settling in against the Vikings. If Minnesota’s defense can dominate the reigning MVP Cam Newton, Eli isn’t gonna stand a chance. Drives aren’t going to get far for the Giants, and when they do, the odds of them reaching the endzone are slim. Josh Brown will be called on early and often to try to keep the Giants relevant in a low-scoring affair.

 
Tier 2 NFL Kickers

6. Dustin Hopkins (vs CLE)
7. Chris Boswell (vs KC)
8. Cairo Santos (@ PIT)
9. Dan Bailey (@ SF)
10. Brandon McManus (@ TB)
11. Graham Gano (@ ATL)

Dustin Hopkins put on a show last week to my, and everyone’s, surprise and couldn’t have a better shot at an encore performance this weekend. The Washington offense should slice apart Cleveland’s sad excuse of a defense and Hopkins is going to be a big beneficiary. While he may only get one or two field goals, his odds of putting up 3 to 4 extra points on top of said field goals are sky high. Start him with confidence as a streaming kicker option.

Pittsburgh struggled mightily against a stout Philadelphia defense and Kansas City’s defense isn’t going to make things any easier. Even with Le’Veon Bell returning, Marcus Peters has been putting on a clinic so far this season and the Chief’s front seven is as nasty as ever. Chris Boswell was Pittsburgh’s only means of putting points on the board last week and this week looks like it will be much of the same if their offense can’t get going.

 
Tier 3 NFL Kickers

12. Chandler Catanzaro (vs LA)
13. Adam Vinatieri (@ JAX in London)
14. Nick Novak (vs TEN)
15. Dan Carpenter (@ NE)
16. Matt Bryant (vs CAR)

Catanzaro and the Cardinals got stonewalled by the Bills last week, but don’t expect it to happen again. Those who’ve seen All or Nothing know Bruce Arians doesn’t take kindly to bad losses. While they face another tough defense, and the Rams always seem to win in-division games, I fully expect the Cardinals to bounce back in their own building. While it may not be an incredibly high scoring game, the Cardinals should be able to move the ball effectively and ensure points consistently get on the board.

Another team looking to regain form after a humiliating loss is Houston, who got shut out at home by New England last week. The Titans, luckily, are a much less formidable foe and the Texans should dismantle their defense with ease. In addition, Marcus Mariota has been struggling as of late, so this game has the potential to be a blowout. Look for Novak to have a solid outing in Tennessee as the offense finds their rhythm again.

 
Tier 4 NFL Kickers

17. Andrew Franks (@ CIN)
18. Nick Folk (vs SEA)
19. Sebastian Janikowski (@ BAL)
20. Matt Prater (@ CHI)

Cincinnati had a rough week against a stunningly competent Broncos offense, but should have a much easier time slowing down and stopping the Dolphins, who if not for having played the Browns, wouldn’t have a win to their name. The Dolphins offense, especially with their mess at the RB position, is going to struggle to find yards and consistently move the chains. This means Andrew Franks will have to be called on more often than not to make this game seem less like a blowout than it will be.

Just when you thought the Bears couldn’t get any worse, they did! Kyle Fuller, the Bears’ number one cornerback, has been placed on IR and won’t be eligible to return until Week 11 at best. This is great news for the NFC North as a whole and for Detroit in particular this week. Marvin Jones put on a show against a Packers defense that comparably looks like the ‘85 Bears next to today’s Bears, and isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. The Lions will dominate and Prater should see plenty of action.

 
Tier 5 NFL Kickers

21. Josh Lambo (vs NO)
22. Wil Lutz (@ SD)
23. Greg Zuerlein (@ ARI)
24. Connor Barth (vs DET)