Fantasy Football Draft Tips for Kickers
Drafting Kickers In The Last Round Is a Must For All Fantasy Owners
Aug 23, 2009
Each year, owners tend to make the mistake of drafting a kicker too early while participating in fantasy football. No matter how tempting it may be, no fantasy football owner should draft a kicker until the last round.
NFL Kickers Score Similar Points in Fantasy Football
Kickers can be frustrating for owners in fantasy football because they never know what to expect from them each week.
In most fantasy football leagues, kickers receive a certain amount of points, depending on where they kick it from. For example, a kick between 30-39 yards may be worth three points while a kick between 40-49 yards may be worth between four points. They may also receive one point for kicking the extra point after touchdowns and lose points for a missed attempt.
It's always difficult for owners to try and figure out how many points their kicker may provide for them that week. Depending on whether or not a kicker's offense can score touchdowns may determine how they perform from a fantasy football perspective.
Some weeks, a kicker could see three or four attempts if their team fails to find a way into the end zone, which could mean a high amount of fantasy points. If their team has no trouble scoring touchdowns, they may only be used for kicking extra points, which may not have as much value.
Fantasy football kicker's performance each week will depend on how their team's offense performs. Most kickers in the NFL will find themselves on the same boat when it comes to fantasy football; most of them will score around the same amount of points each season.
Considering there are 32 teams in the NFL, most fantasy football owners should not stress about drafting a kicker in their league. Chances are, they will be able to land a decent kicker in the final round that will score similar numbers to the rest of the players in the league at their position.
Top Kickers in Fantasy Football Change Each Season
Each season, most owners have a pretty good idea of who the top performers at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver will be. When it comes to kickers, it's almost impossible to have any idea.
The top kickers in the league change each season. Sometimes, certain kickers are provided with more opportunities to kick, depending on if their offense struggles to get into the end zone. Take former St. Louis Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins for example.
During the 2006 season, Wilkins was tied for first in the NFL with Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould with 32 field goals made. The following season, Wilkins was tied for 16th in the NFL with only 24 field goals made.
No matter how tempting it may seem, all fantasy football owners should wait until the final round of their draft before selecting a kicker for their squad. The league leaders in field goals have changed each season this decade and it's nearly impossible to tell who will finish at the top every year.
Last season, New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski led the NFL with 36 field goals made. There is always a chance that he will finish near the top of the league again this season, but chances are we will see another kicker ahead of him this upcoming season.
