Fantazzle Fantasy Football Games - 2009 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings

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Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings – Overall
Well, I gotta include them. I think that there is a little strategy here. Not much, but there are a couple of things I recommend. First is that you only need one kicker. NEVER waste a roster spot on two kickers. You are better served with picking up a super sleeper than having two kickers for your bye week or playing matchups. If you want to play matchups with kickers (using a kicker against a bend but don’t break defense, for example), then do it week to week, not during the draft. Secondly, I wouldn’t choose a kicker to the end of you draft. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the last pick of the draft, but it should be close. A reason why you would not pick a kicker in the last round is if you have 3 or 4 guys that are super sleepers you know will not be drafted. That way you can draft a ‘better’ kicker and still grab one of these guys. If you feel they all may be taken or you perceive one of the 3 or 4 guys to have slightly more upside, than take that guy and wait until the last round for a kicker.

I’m with most analysts in saying that its hard to predict how a kicker will do and even if you are confident one is better than the other, the point difference is usually small. That said, sometimes the difference between a win or loss is 1 or 2 pts that a kicker could get you. I did some research on kickers this year and found that there are several that you can count on to be in the ~top 10. Those guys are listed as Tier 1′s. The Tier 2′s are guys I feel have nice potential on a team that will give them opportunities AND have been consistent the past few years.

Fantasy Football Kickers Scoring
Standard. 1pt for an extra point; 3pts for a 1 to 39 yard FG; 4pts for a 40 to 49 yard FG; 5pts for a FG over 50 yards; -2pts for all misses

TIER 1 Fantasy Football Kickers
1 Jason Elam - With ATL’s offense better, a tougher schedule, and a worn down Turner, I look for Elam to have a big year.
2 Stephen Gostkowski – A solid top ~5 kicker the past few years.
3 Rob Bironas - A solid top ~5 kicker the past few years.

TIER 2 Fantasy Football Kickers
4 Robbie Gould – Already a solid kicker, Cutler should give him more chances.
5 David Akers - Philly’s O is the best in years. Akers is solid and should get more chances.
6 Mason Crosby
7 Ryan Longwell
8 Nate Kaeding – Very solid each year…except last year, but SD will be much better from start to finish.
9 Neil Rackers – You know they’ll score. If AZ regresses just a bit, then Rackers will get more FG chances.
10 Nick Folk – He’s gotta watch out for the scoreboard.
11 John Kasay
12 Lawrence Tynes – He’ll get a lot of chances and his injury last year is not a concern.

Fantasy Football Kickers – Conclusion
I like the T1s to be above the pack, but not by much. If you get them, great. If you don’t, no worries. The other guys will be fine and there won’t be a major difference. If for some reason you don’t get one of these guys or your guy is not doing very well, don’t be afraid to play the matchups. Its pretty easy research. Check out the weather reports first and foremost. If the weather isn’t a factor, look at the team your kicker is playing against and see how many Field Goals they have been giving up the past several games. I think you can count on ~20-25 kickers to be worthy of a start any given week. After that its just a matter of looking if the team they are playing against seems to give up a lot of FGs. DO NOT look at TDs given up. An extra point is nothing. I’d rather have upside of getting 3 FGs instead of 6 extra points.

Take care,

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