2007 NFL Preseason Fantasy Rankings --- Kickers
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Wow! Now this is an important read! Since most of us wait until the last round to pick our kickers, it’s not like he will decide the championship, but there are subtle differences between great kickers.
Nate Kaeding, SD. He was perfect on his 58 PATs (now that’s a lot!), and only missed three FG attempts. He’s the kicker for a great offense, and LaDanian Tomlinson won’t score 100 TDs again this year, thus more chances for Kaeding to go for three.
Jeff Wilkins, STL. The offense still knows how to put up a ton of points, and with Wilkins you get 8 games indoors. He isn’t perfect on the field goal attempts, but he tries a lot, so he will score a bunch of points for you.
Adam Vinatieri, IND. Peyton Manning and the boys don’t settle for three very often, so although he is great, Vinatieri might have less field goal attempts than other kickers. But Vinatieri is usually money when he steps out on the field. He’s another guy that gets 8 games under a dome, but with his history, does it matter?
Jason Elam, DEN. He is the Mr. Consistency of kickers. Elam turned 37 earlier this year, but hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. He missed only two field goal attempts last year, and was perfect on PATs. With the progression of Jay Cutler and Travis Henry, the offense should be able to move the ball, thus PATs and FG attempts for Elam. The only downside is the cold and snow in Denver in the late months, but the thin air at Mile High also helps the ball carry. Elam has been kicking for Denver so long, the elements are almost a non factor to him now.
Shayne Graham, CIN. Graham had a bit of an off year for him, missing five FG attempts (although two were over 50 yards), and two PATs (including one that would’ve put Cincinnati in the playoffs). However, he’s been an accurate kicker on a team that puts up a ton of points. Carson Palmer and the Bengals “O” finds the endzone a lot (42 PAT attempts in ‘06), but Graham still had over 30 FG attempts last year, making him a great fantasy pick.
Make or Break Year — Robbie Gould, CHI. Gould led the league in made field goals last year, and also was perfect on his whopping 47 PATs. However, when you get a kicker that comes out of nowhere to have a good season, I’m always skeptical that they will continue their success the next year. Put that together with the fact that their offense is incredibly inconsistent (thanks Rex Grossman), and I would steer clear of Robbie Gould if I was picking a kicker after only five or six are off the board.
Rising Star — Steven Gostkowski, NE. Although he struggled early, Gostkowski showed that he had what it took to fill the enormous shoes of Adam Vinatieri in New England. He had a little trouble making FGs in the beginning of the season, but had a good last 8 games, and was 8 for 8 in the playoffs, where Vinatieri made his name. You can pick Gostkowski and feel like you have a secure option who should score 100 points behind the revamped Patriots offense.
Falling Stock — Neil Rackers, ARI. Like I said earlier, I’m skeptical when a kicker for an OK offensive team breaks out and has a great season. Rackers kicked an outstanding 40 FGs in ‘05 and was a huge fantasy scorer that season. And although his PATs went from 20 to 32, he dropped 24 points because the Arizona offense struggled mightily in 2006, and Rackers was able to convert just 28 of 27 FGs in 2006. Find a more consistent option when you are picking your kicker. Although he hasn’t missed a PAT in three seasons, I expect Rackers to struggle again in ‘07.
Bounce Back Year — David Akers, PHI. Akers had a torn hamstring in 2005, which we could all actually watch tear on a game winning FG that season, and has struggled ever since. However, before that terrible injury, Akers was one of the more reliable (and my favorite) fantasy kicking options. Two years removed from the hamstring injury I fully expect Akers and the Philly offense to get back to the prominence they once had.
