The fantasy football playoffs are finally here, and that means it's time to actually care about your kicker. That might do more harm than good, but if you're actually trying to get the most unpredictable position in football "right," then our Week 15 fantasy kicker rankings might be able to help.
As always, we check out the matchup stats and at least slightly factor them into our rankings. This week, a few top guys have highly favorable matchups (Matt Prater, Greg Joseph, Graham Gano, Harrison Butker), but there aren't a lot of guys who stand out as obvious studs or sleepers. It's always nice when a guy like Prater has a good matchup and is kicking indoors, but with just two true indoor games (plus another two in L.A.'s covered but open air stadium), the elements will undoubtedly play a role in kicker decisions this week.
WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight end | D/ST
Because of this, most fantasy owners will likely just stick with the kicker who's been in their lineup most of the season. That's perfectly fine if we're talking about Daniel Carlson (@ Browns), Justin Tucker (vs. Packers) or even Nick Folk (@ Colts), who draws the statistically worst matchup but is the No. 1 kicker and plays indoors this week. There's no need to be too worried about guys like that, as they're just as likely to kick multiple field goals as anyone.
WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight end | D/ST
However, because it's win-or-go-home time, you owe it to yourself to check out all options. Guys like Evan McPherson (@ Broncos), Jake Elliott (vs. Washington), and Dustin Hopkins (vs. Chiefs) have been in the top 15 for most of the year but are low owned. They could easily keep their successful seasons going. McPherson gets the bonus of kicking in Denver's thin air, too.
WEEK 15 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
If you really want to trust the numbers, you could try Randy Bullock (@ Steelers), Eddy Pineiro (@ Dolphins), Jason Sanders (vs. Jets), or Cairo Santos (vs. Vikings), all of whom have top-six matchups. Bullock is our favorite of those "sleepers," but we all know any kicker is capable of a three-FG day in a given week.
WEEK 15 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
We also know that having a big kicking performance can go a long way toward securing a "W," so if you're feeling bold, make a move. If not, that's fine, too. Weather might be the ultimate tie-breaker at this position anyway, so keep your options open and be ready to make a move if need be. And most of all, just hope for good luck. At this position, that's often the best you can do.
MORE WEEK 15 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup builder
Note: We'll update these kicker rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement.
Fantasy Kicker Rankings Week 15: Who to start, sit in fantasy football
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Matt Prater, ARI @ DET |
| 2 | Greg Joseph, MIN @ CHI |
| 3 | Graham Gano, NYG vs. DAL |
| 4 | Greg Zuerlein, DAL @ NYG |
| 5 | Ryan Succop, TB vs. NO |
| 6 | Harrison Butker, KC @ LAC |
| 7 | Chris Boswell, PIT vs. TEN |
| 8 | Daniel Carlson, LV @ CLE |
| 9 | Matt Gay, LAR vs. SEA |
| 10 | Justin Tucker, BAL vs. GB |
| 11 | Nick Folk, NE @ IND |
| 12 | Randy Bullock, TEN @ PIT |
| 13 | Evan McPherson, CIN @ DEN |
| 14 | Jake Elliott, PHI vs. WAS |
| 15 | Brandon McManus, DEN vs. CIN |
| 16 | Tyler Bass, BUF vs. CAR |
| 17 | Dustin Hopkins, LAC vs. KC |
| 18 | Jason Sanders, MIA vs. NYJ |
| 19 | Eddy Pineiro, NYJ @ MIA |
| 20 | Cairo Santos, CHI vs. MIN |
| 21 | Jason Myers, SEA @ LAR |
| 22 | Zane Gonzalez, CAR @ BUF |
| 23 | Mason Crosby, GB @ BAL |
| 24 | Robbie Gould, SF vs. ATL |
| 25 | Younghoe Koo, ATL @ SF |
| 26 | Brett Maher, NO @ TB |
| 27 | Matthew Wright, JAX vs. HOU |
| 28 | Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU @ JAX |
| 29 | Michael Badgley, IND vs. NE |
| 30 | Chase McLaughlin, CLE vs. LV |
| 31 | Brian Johnson, WAS @ PHI |
| 32 | Riley Patterson, DET vs. ARI |
