NFL Kickers to Start in Week 15: 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 15 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 15 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 15 lineup decisions a bit easier. Some of these kickers may have good Week 15 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 15 Kickers: Tiers & Rankings For The Playoffs

Tier 1 NFL Kickers: Baltimore Ravens (Justin Tucker), New England Patriots (Stephen Gostkowski), Philadelphia Eagles (Cody Parkey), New Orleans Saints (Shayne Graham), Pittsburgh Steelers (Shaun Suisham), Atlanta Falcons (Matt Bryant)

For the Week 15 playoff push, we start off tier 1 of our fantasy kicker recommendations with Justin Tucker. Baltimore's finest enters Week 15 as the NFL's 4th leading scorer among all kickers, and has a great matchup against a Jaguars team that allows the 2nd most fantasy points per week to opposing legs. The Patriots will play host to the division rival Dolphins and Stephen Gostkowski will be taking  his shots versus a defense that allows an average of 7.42 points per contest to fantasy kickers. He's a must start as always and will be owned in most leagues. Cody "Hit It Out The" Parkey is proving our love for him is not misplaced as he continues raking and enters Week 15 as the second leading scorer among his kicker peers. He's in tier 1 for a reason and is a must start versus any opponent, even the stingy in-division rival Cowboys. Shayne "The Pain" Graham hits the road for a Monday night showdown in the Windy City. Expect a decent amount of scoring versus the team that allows the most points per week to fantasy kickers. Pittsburgh takes it's air show on the road and will play indoors versus Atlanta in Week 15. The Falcons allows the 6th most fantasy points to opposing kickers, and have a favorable kicking environment, so you know we love this dude for Week 15. Last but not least is his veteran counterpart in this indoor dirty south showdown, Matt "The Fat Cat" Bryant. This grizzled veteran ranks 1st in FG/EP rating based on Pro Football Focus and gets to take his shots at home versus a team that allows an average of 8.92 fantasy points per week to opposing place kickers. Make sure he's in your lineup and not on your waiver wire in Week 15 versus the NFL's 9th worst defense versus fantasy kickers.

Tier 2 NFL Kickers: Seattle Seahawks (Steven Hauschka), Green Bay Packers (Mason Crosby), Miami Dolphins (Caleb Sturgis), New York Jets (Nick Folk), Indianapolis Colts (Adam Vinatieri), Kansas City Chiefs (Cairo Santos)

The Seahawks are playing like Super Bowl contenders once again and Steven Hauschka has rounded back into elite kicker form heading into the Week 15's home matchup versus the plummeting 49ers. He's a must start even against a defense that only allows an average of 6.92 fantasy points per contest to opposing legs. Mason "Betha" Crosby is hammering the opposition whenever called upon and will be flying east to Buffalo to freeze his hiney off for a Week 15 showdown with his scorching Packers. He too is a must start each and every week considering he racks up about 6-7 points per game just in extra points! Caleb Sturgis doesn't have a cheesey nickname (at the moment) but he does draw a reasonably favorable matchup versus the Patriots in Week 15. New England is allowing 8.25 points per contest on average to fantasy kickers, so this game shouldn't present too much of a different outcome for the NFL's 7th leading scorer among his peers. "Saint Nick" Folk is quite the horrific option in most weeks due to the Jets poop show of an offense, but he does have an easy slated opponent in the Titans defense for Week 15 that's allowing an average of 10.17 points per contest to the opposing kicker. He can be streamed in if you are in a bind or think you need those few extra potential points he may squeeze out against the league's 3rd worst defense versus fantasy kickers. Former Pats great Adam Vinatieri is slipping a tier for his Week 15 home matchup versus the Texans suffocating defense. Houston has been extremely stingy versus fantasy kickers allowing a mere 6.33 points per contest, so it's best to leave the future hall-of-famer on the pine if you have a better option off the waiver wire. Cairo Santos is certainly missing the tropical Brazilian weather right about now and will continue to freeze his arse off when the Raiders come to town for Week 15's matchup. Expect a decent showing from the rookie versus a defense that allows 9.92 fantasy points per game to kickers, good for 5th worst in the NFL.

Tier 3 NFL Kickers: San Diego Chargers (Nick Novak), Cincinnati Bengals (Mike Nugent), Dallas Cowboys (Dan Bailey), Washington Redskins (Kai Forbath), Buffalo Bills (Dan Carpenter), Cleveland Browns (Billy Cundiff), Carolina Panthers (Graham Gano)

Nick "The Kick" Novak moonlighted as a punter in Week 14 and showed that sexy leg off with a booming punt, but let's not forget why he actually got that amazing nickname of his. In Week 15 he'll be trying to split the uprights versus the Broncos at his home stadium. Denver is allowing an average of 7.58 fantasy points per week to kickers thereby making him a decent start. Former Jets great "Magic Mike" Nugent gets to take his kicks across the state versus the Cleveland Browns who are allowing 8.25 fantasy points per week to opposing kickers. He can be used if you think your current kicking option is due for a potential goose egg in Week 15. Dan "The Man" Bailey has slipped into tier 3 because the Cowboys face off against a stingy Eagles defense that is only allowing an average of 6.83 fantasy points per contest to kickers. If you think you can snag Matt Bryant of Shaye Graham off the waiver wire, they may make a safer play for Week 15. Kai Forbath travels to dirty Jersey to face the Giants defense that allows a wholesome 9.08 fantasy points per week to kickers. He can be a useful option, but is far from a target in most weeks due to the Redskins putrid offense. Dan Carpenter hosts the Green Bay Packers who are allowing a very stingy 6.67 fantasy points per week to kickers. He should be reserved unless you think the Bills will be able to keep up with the Packers high powered offense. Billy "The Kid" Cundiff is partaking in the battle for Ohio in Week 15 and will face off against a Bengals defense that allows 8.24 fantasy points per game to kickers. That's good enough to make him a tier 3 option and viable for the Week 15 playoff push. Lastly for the serviceable options is Panthers great Graham Gano who takes on the Buccaneers at home in Week 15. Tampa allows the 8.58 points per contest to fantasy kickers and makes a decent start off the waiver wire against a club ranked 11th in the league in that category.

Tier 4 NFL Kickers: Houston Texans (Randy Bullock), Arizona Cardinals (Chandler Catanzaro), Denver Broncos (Connor Barth), San Francisco (Phil Dawson), Chicago Bears (Robbie Gould), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Patrick Murray), St. Louis Rams (Greg Zuerlein).

Texas native Randy Bullock is taking his stocky show on the road to Indianapolis in Week 15. He is firmly slated to ride the pine versus a fantasy defense that allows the fewest points per contest to opposing place kickers. Chandler Catanzaro "Everdeen" makes his Week 15 cameo versus the surging Rams in St. Louis. Even with the indoor confines, the Rams only allow an average of 7.58 fantasy points per week to to opposing kickers making him a shaky start at best for your playoff run. We told you that Brandon "Not The" McManus was pretty bad a kicking footballs and he was recently replaced by Connor Barth "Simpson" who was 5 for 5 last week versus the Chiefs. That being said, we don't trust that fly by night kicker replacement stuff and recommend keeping the Broncos 3rd option of 2014 planted on the pine versus the Chargers defense that allows the 4th fewest points per contest to kickers. Phil "The Purple Pill" Dawson is obviously one of our favorites for his nickname, but draws a tough matchup in Week 15 versus the Seahawks. He can be benched versus Seattle, but make sure you don't completely forget about him because he just may pop up for Week 16 as a useful option (get it, pop up...). Roberto Gould gets to face the Saints on Monday night at home and faces off against the New Orleans Saints who are allowing an average 10.08 points per contest to opposing kickers. He can be used as a sneaky waiver wire pickup for Week 15 and has tier 2-3 upside if you want to get a little cute with your roster.

Tier 5 NFL Kickers: Tennessee Titans (Ryan Succop), New York Giants (Josh Brown), Minnesota Vikings (Blair Walsh), Oakland Raiders (Sebastian Janikowski), Detroit Lions (Matt Prater), Jacksonville Jaguars (Josh Scobee)

"Saving Private Ryan" Succop gets to face the Jets at home in Week 15. He doesn't score much and should be reserved as waiver fodder until further notice. The Giants face off against Washington in this Week 15 home matchup. Besides a painfully ugly football game for our viewing pleasure, we anticipate that you'll be keeping the Giants place kicker on ice versus a Redskins defense that only allows an average of 7.75 fantasy points per game to opposing legs. "Blair Which" Walsh gets one of the NFL's toughest defenses as the Vikings travel to the Motor City to take their lumps against a Lions team that's only allowing an average of 6.75 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. We'll actually include Sebastian Janikowski in our our normal kicker recommendations instead of isolating and alienating him like he's suffering from leprosy. For Week 15 The Polish Powder Keg draws a favorable matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs who are allowing the 10th most fantasy points per week to kickers. We already know he's got leg for days, and even banged in a 57 yard field goal in Week 14 proving he's still got it, but he still plays for the worst offense in the NFL and should be kept on the sidelines with a six pack and a bag of Doritos for Week 15's fantasy playoff action. Matt Prater is in tier 5 because we think he's not that good, but he does get a decent Week 15 matchup versus the Oakland Raiders who allow the 5th most points per game to fantasy kickers. We still think he needs to be reserved, so don't get too cute unless you know something about his new found consistancy, or this matchup, that we don't already know. Last but not least for the putrid pack of place kickers in tier 5 is Joshua Scobee. He's a tough pill to swallow any given week due to his team's overall knack to be bad at football, but Week 15 is especially tough as the Jaguars face the Ravens bullying defense that only allows an average of 6.83 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers.

Good luck on your continued playoff runs and choosing your kickers in Week 15 RotoBaller's! Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RealTalkRaph if you want to discuss these life changing choices any further.