NFL Kickers to Start in Week 14: Fantasy Football Tiers, Rankings & Playoff Matchups

Yes, that’s right – kickers. After all, points are points, and even though kickers are very difficult to predict for fantasy points week to week, having the right one in your Week 14 lineup could be a difference maker.

For those of you fantasy football owners out there who are streaming kickers, RotoBaller has got you covered with around-the-league analysis of the Week 14 NFL matchups.  This week shouldn't be as big an issue with bye weeks, as that's all done with, which means should be plenty of viable waiver wire streamers and sleepers available if that's what you're looking for.

We’re here to give you our analysis to help make your kicker streaming decisions and make your Week 14 lineup decisions a bit easier. Some of these kickers may have good Week 14 matchups, and be available on your league’s waiver wire. Be sure to stay on top of the weekly NFL matchups and kicker opponents right here. Good luck with your playoff matchups RotoBallers!

Week 14 Kickers: Tiers & Rankings For The Playoffs

Tier 1 NFL Kickers: Dallas Cowboys (Dan Bailey), Indianapolis Colts (Adam Vinatieri), Green Bay Packers (Mason Crosby), New England Patriots (Stephen Gostkowski), Houston Texans (Randy Bullock), Cincinnati Bengals (Mike Nugent)

It's Week 14 RotoBallers and that means playoff time for the lucky survivors of the turbulent 2014 fantasy football season. To lead off our list of kickers that you most definitely want in your lineup is none other than Dan "The Man" Bailey. The Cowboys travel to Chicago to take on a Bears defense that's allowing the most points per week on average to fantasy kickers. He's a must start even though he mildly pooped the bed in Week 13 with a 4 point clunker. Next up is Adam "The Living Legend" Vinatieri who will have the honor and pleasure of facing he lowly Browns defense that allows an average of 7.64 points per contest to fantasy kickers. The Patriots and Stephen Gostowski take their Week 14 show on the road to sunny San Diego to face a Chargers team that only allows 5.91 points per game to fantasy kickers. That being said, the Pats are scheduled to make up for Week 13's loss in big fashion and we expect at least 8-9 fantasy points here. Randy Bullock is "bringing stocky back, yeah, them other kickers don't know how to act". Woa, my bad on that one... is anyone editing this at all? Back to the gravity of recommending Week 14 fantasy football kickers, we like the Texas star a bundle as he faces the Jags defense that allows a wholesome 10.55 points per week to fantasy kickers. Rounding out the Week 14 kicker winners is former Jets great Mike "Mr. Ohio" Nugent. Dem Bengals get a home matchup versus a Steelers squad that allows a lovely 9.27 fantasy points per week to opposing kickers, so he can be a good waiver wire pickup for the potential first round playoff upset you'll be trying to pull on your opponent.
 
 
Tier 2 NFL Kickers: San Francisco (Phil Dawson), Buffalo Bills (Dan Carpenter), Seattle Seahawks (Steven Hauschka), Philadelphia Eagles (Cody Parkey), Carolina Panthers (Graham Gano), Pittsburgh Steelers (Shaun Suisham), Baltimore Ravens (Justin Tucker)
 
Phil "The Purple Pill" Dawson reminds us of the guys in Viagra commercials, therefore we have nicknamed him appropriately. Aside from that, he kicks for a 49ers team that stinks at football and is reliant on his leg to save their butts from being winless thus far in 2014. The Pill & Co. draw a favorable Week 14 matchup versus the "Reckless Raiders" who got smashed and shutout in Week 13, and surrender 9.91 fantasy points per week to opposing kickers. Former Dolphins great Dan Carpenter switched teams and global climates when he moved to Buffalo, but for Week 14 he gets to take his shots a mile high in Denver versus the Broncos. They are allowing 7.91 points per week to opposing legs and Carpenter ranks 6th in total points scored, thereby making him a strong start for Week 14. Steven Hauschka is doing work again these days and gets to face the Eagles who are only allowing 7.09 points per game to opposing kickers. He can be started even on the road like this week and should still finish top 10 in scoring for the week. Next is our favorite rookie phenom Cody "Hit It Out The" Parkey who pounded in 15 fantasy points for lucky owners in Week 13. His next opponent is the semi-tough Seattle defense that only allows 7.18 points per week to fantasy kickers, but should be vulnerable enough to give him a shot at 8-10 points. Graham Gano is taking a home game versus the Saints defense and trying to run with it. Well actually, kick it real good and give fantasy owners at least the 9.91 fantasy points per game average that New Orleans is giving up each and every week. The Steelers' Shaun Suisham will be facing the Bengals on the road, a team that allows 8.45 fantasy points per game to opposing place kickers. He can be used with good confidence in Week 14. Rounding out the tier 2 studs for Week 14 is Justin Tucker who grades out at the 5th best kicker in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He can be used almost any week, but he faces the semi-stout Dolphins defense in Week 14, so don't expect a career day either.  
 
 
Tier 3 NFL Kickers: New Orleans Saints (Shayne Graham), New York Giants (Josh Brown), San Diego Chargers (Nick Novak), Dolphins (Caleb Sturgis), Minnesota Vikings (Blair Walsh), Arizona Cardinals (Chandler Catanzaro), Detroit Lions (Matt Prater)
 
Shayne "The Pain" Graham is facing a Panther defense that allows an average of 8.45 points per game to opposing fantasy kickers. He can be a borderline streamer for his Week 14 home start. The Giants stink at football and Josh Brown is part of that team; that being said the Titans allow the 3rd most points per week to fantasy kickers, so if they meet of exceed that 10.27 output, Josh Brown can be worth his weight in fantasy gold. Nick "The Kick" Novak looks to make his presence felt in Week 14 when the Chargers host the Patriots for their home game whooping in the making. The Pats allow 7.73 fantasy points per week to kickers and are a tough overall defense to face unless you are Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. He can be reserved for Week 14. Caleb Sturgis is not that inspiring and faces the stingy Baltimore defense at home in Week 14. This can be a good week to keep this mediocre leg on ice and go with a better streaming option. Blair "Witch" Walsh is a scary fantasy start, especially in a playoff run versus the New Jersey Jets. That being said, "Gang Gross" allows a hellacious 8.73 points per week to fantasy kickers making them a delightful and sneaky squad to stream a leg or two against. We green light this matchup, but do it at your own peril RotoBallers because the Vikings offense is rather putrid in general. Chandler Catanzaro "Everdeen" is facing the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 14, a team allowing a rather robust 8.09 points per game to fantasy place kickers. Even so, we say he's a borderline option due to his low overall scoring opportunities. Matt "The Definition Of Self Destructive" Prater fell out of grace with the Peyton Manning led Broncos, but has scored rather nicely with the Detroit Lions and faces a favorable Buccaneer defense that allows a chunky 9.18 fantasy points a week.  
 
 
Tier 4 NFL Kickers: Atlanta Falcons (Matt Bryant), Washington Redskins (Kai Forbath), Tennessee Titans (Ryan Succop), St. Louis Rams (Greg Zuerlein), Cleveland Browns (Billy Cundiff), Denver Broncos (Connor Barth), Kansas City Chiefs (Cairo Santos)
 
Matt "The Fat Cat" Bryant is still collecting checks and kicking easy indoor field goals for the Falcons at the ripe old age of 39. He is the league's best rated kicker based on Pro Football Focus, but draws a tough road matchup versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. We say he's a desperation start versus a team that only allows an average of 7.0 fantasy points per contest to opposing kickers. Kai Forbath is a sneaky tier 4 start as he faces the Rams defense that allows 8.27 points per game on average to fantasy kickers. That being said he grades out 24th overall based on Pro Football Focus and we tend to shy away from guys who technically stink at kicking footballs through uprights. "Saving Private" Ryan Succop faces the Giants at home in Week 14, a team allowing 9.18 fantasy points per week to kickers. If you wanna get cute and try to show off your knowledge of kickers, stream this favorable matchup in. Other than that, avoid like the plague if you actually want a good shot at advancing in the playoffs. Greg "The Leg" Zuerlein is facing the Washington Redskins on the road. We'd avoid Legatron for Week 14 unless you're just too obsessed with his various nicknames and refuse to change kickers. The Browns and Wilfredo Cundiff face the suffocating Colts defense versus fantasy kickers, so he should be avoided like the dude looking for a fight at the bar on a Saturday night circa 2AM. Brandon "Not The "McManus is gone, but replacement Connor Barth still is not a guy we want to think about this week, so don't use him for this home matchup against the Bills unless you have the hunch of all hunches. Brazilian great Cairo Santos rounds out tier 4 as the Chiefs face the Cardinals defense that's allowing a semi-stingy 7.55 fantasy points per week on average. We'd avoid him like 6 day old refrigerator pizza unless you have the stomach for potential disappointment and nausea.  
 
 
Tier 5 NFL Kickers: Chicago Bears (Robbie Gould), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Patrick Murray), New York Jets (Nick Folk), Jacksonville Jaguars (Josh Scobee), Oakland Raiders (Sebastian Janikowski)
 
Robert Paul Gould III is facing the Cowboys at home for Thursday Night Football in Week 14. America's Team allows the fewest points per game to fantasy kickers, so keep Roberto far from your starting lineup for the playoff push. Patrick Murray is going to be an afterthought in Week 14 versus the Detroit Lions; let's just leave it at that. The same pretty much goes the same for Jets great "Saint Nick" Folk who faces the surprisingly superior Vikings defense that only allows an average of 6.82 points per week to fantasy kickers. Josh Scobee draws the Texans play-making defense at home in Week 14 and should be kept on the waiver wire until further notice. Lastly for tier 5, our one and only true fantasy kicker love, Sebastian Janikowski. If it weren't for the Raiders generosity, the NFL's biggest payroll parody might be comfortably retired and spending time trying to make the headlines for his notorious antics once again. For Week 14 of fantasy football action, he faces a severely tough matchup against a rabid 49ers defense that only allows an average of 6.27 fantasy points per game. Even with leg for days, the Polish Powder Keg is better left for comic relief than fantasy football superstardom.  
 
 
Good luck on your playoff runs and choosing your kickers in Week 14 RotoBaller's! Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RealTalkRaph if you want to discuss these life changing choices any further.