PAT’S & FG’S… Let’s Kick It!

By Guest Writer EJ McKinley:

You might see this odd fellow sitting alone on the bench one minute, being swarmed by teammates the next, or maybe peeing on the sideline. If you haven’t figured out who this man is, he is the infamous kicker. The kicker is more times than not the man who wins games for teams. Yet the kicker can never win any respect.

David Akers was a top 5 kicker almost every year in the league and was cut after missing a game winning field goal for the Eagles in the playoffs a few years ago. What about fantasy football though? How important is the kicker position? How high should you draft a kicker? Let’s explore using a question and answer format.

1. Kickers win games all the time in the NFL; will they do the same for my Fantasy team?

Absolutely! I can’t say how many times a kicker has made a field goal that helped me squeak by in a game. The kicker is underrated. It’s imperative to have a guy who you know is going to score a lot of points and make kicks consistently.

2.  What’s the earliest round I should draft a kicker?

For me it depends on the position I’m in. I always have a certain kicker I feel strong about and target him. If he’s dropping I’ll wait. If he’s moving up the boards and it looks like he might be drafted soon I’ll jump early on him.

3.  Who’s your target for this year?

Before this season it was always Jason Hanson. For one I love the Lions and Hanson is just so accurate and consistent. I love Hanson; he was a loyal player and fan favorite. For many years the Detroit offense was terrible and he always scored a ton. This season it’s the new Detroit kicker David Akers. Akers is by far the best kicker in the NFL.

Top Fantasy Kickers By Season:

2009                                       2010                                       2011                                       2012
D. Akers                               1. S. Janikowski                 1. David Akers                   1. B. Walsh
R. Longwell                          2. D. Akers                          2. S. Gostowski                2. S. Gostowski
M. Crosby                            3. J. Brown                         3. M. Crosby                      3. M Bryant
S. Gostowski                        4. N. Folk                           4. S. Janikowski               4. L. Tynes
R. Bironas                            5. M. Bryant                        5. N. Rackers                    5. S. Graham

4. Wasn’t Akers pretty bad last season?       

Akers definitely wasn’t at his best in terms of accuracy one season ago but still ranked in the top 10 in terms of fantasy points scored. He is the guy to draft this season. I guarantee he will be one of the best, if not the best fantasy kickers this year. 

5. So just how important is the kickers?

Well in real games I believe the kicker is far more important than he is given credit for. In fantasy the position is still one that you should draft late. Do your homework on these guys. As for when to draft them; well my friend, that’s the kicker.