|
July 4, 2009
|
 |
|
1.) Nick Folk (K) – Dallas Cowboys
I’m a huge fan of Folk, his bionic leg was the deciding factor in two of my leagues last season, which gives proof to the fact that kickers do matter. Last season, Folk nailed 26-of-31 field goal attempts and hit 9-of-12 from 40-plus yards. The 23-year-old University of Arizona alum is a mentally sound athlete, which is a crucial trait for a kicker on a team that scores at the pace the Cowboys do. Also keep in mind that he converted 53-of-53 PATs, which is a testament to his accuracy, consistency and demeanor.
2.) Stephen Gostkowski (K) – New England Patriots
The key to garnishing your roster with the perfect kicker is to draft a guy on a team that either scores a ton or consistently gets stopped in the red zone. Last year, Gostkowski converted 21-of-24 field goal attempts and was 3-of-5 from 40-49 yards. He nailed 74-of-74 PATs and was second amongst National Football League kickers with 137 points. He has sufficiently replaced former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri admirably and should continue to mature under a system that will continue to utilize his leg on a regular basis.
3.) Adam Vinatieri (K) – Indianapolis Colts
With his 118-point showing in 2007, Vinatieri ran his streak of 100 or more points to 12 consecutive seasons. Last year, he converted 23-of-29 field goal attempts and nailed 49-of-51 PATs. However, in three attempts from 40 or more yards, Vinatieri laid a fat goose egg, which is worrisome since he was 9-of-11 from 40 or more yards during the 2006 campaign. Vinatieri is once again one of the safest bets in the kicking industry; draft him with utmost confidence even though he’s a traitor to the hometown garb.
4.) Rob Bironas (K) – Tennessee Titans
Bironas is an enigma, a steel boot amongst felt cleats. Last season, the 30-year-old kicker slammed 35-of-39 field goal attempts, which led the NFL. He also hit 28-of-28 PATs en route to finishing third amongst NFL legs with 133 points. Although Bironas doesn’t play on an offensive juggernaut like the Patriots or Colts, the Titans had a knack last year for getting Bironas within striking distance, it must be noted that he was an astonishing 13-of-15 from 40 or more yards with his long being from 56 yards out. With the addition of tight end Alge Crumpler and another year of development under the belt of quarterback Vince Young, expect Bironas to be in for his second straight season with 115-plus points.
5.) Robbie Gould (K) – Chicago Bears
Although Gould spends his Sundays with a diffused Chicago offense, his gift of kicking a ball through the uprights is glaring. Last year, Gould converted 31-of-36 field goal attempts and nailed 33-of-33 PATs. He was 12-of-14 from 40-49 yards with his long coming from 49 yards out. Plus, his 2007 campaign marked his second consecutive season with 125-plus points. Like Bironas’ Titans, Chicago’s offense resembles a conundrum of obscurity, which means that the game’s highest paid kicker will once again bear the weight of carrying an offense with absolutely no identity. Expect the Penn State alum to see the field a lot in 2008.
6.) Shayne Graham (K) – Cincinnati Bengals
The 2007 campaign marked the fifth straight season where Graham notched 100-plus points. Amongst NFL kickers, he finished fifth with 130 points. He converted 6-of-7 attempts from 40-49 yards with his long coming at a distance of 48 yards. He also nailed 37-of-37 PATs on the season. During last year’s Nov. 11 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, the Virginia Tech alum converted 7-of-7 field goal attempts in a 21-7 victory. His lifetime field goal conversion percentage (85.4 percent) signifies accurate reliability, and the fact that he has quarterback Carson Palmer chucking to wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh doesn’t hurt either.
7.) Mason Crosby (K) – Green Bay Packers
Crosby led all kickers last season with 141 points in his first campaign out of the University of Colorado. He converted 31-of-39 field goal attempts and hit 48-of-48 PATs. Plus, he slammed 9-of-14 from 40-49 yards and 3-of-5 from 50-plus yards. Although his field goal conversion percentage (79.5 percent) was a bit low, the promise he showed on a consistent basis was something fantasy owners revel in. With Brett Favre trying to rekindle his doused football flame in New York, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers taking the reins in Green Bay, Crosby should once again have plenty of opportunities to build on his already superb numbers. Don’t forget, he was tied with Bironas for the league lead in field goal attempts (39) last season.
8.) Nate Kaeding (K) – San Diego Chargers
We all know that the mixture of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, quarterback Philip Rivers, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Chris Chambers creates a potent elixir of elite offensive production. That’s probably why Kaeding turned in his fourth consecutive campaign with 100-plus points in 2007. Last year, he nailed 24-of-27 field goal attempts and converted 46-of-46 PATs. He converted 7-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 1-of-2 from 50-plus yards. At the tender age of 26, Kaeding has many years of football ahead of him, and with an offense like San Diego’s, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to add to his growing resume of success.
9.) Phil Dawson (K) – Cleveland Browns
Last season’s career-high 120 points marked the third campaign in the last four years that Dawson recorded 100 or more points. He converted 26-of-30 field goal attempts and nailed 42-of-43 PATs to achieve the personal feat. He hit 7-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 1-of-2 from 50-plus yards. This season, many “experts” including myself are predicting that the Browns’ offense is going to annihilate a fair amount of opponents. With the presence of quarterback Derek Anderson, tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. and wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Donte’ Stallworth, there is no denying that Dawson will get his fair share of opportunities and will likely set another career-high in points.
10.) Josh Scobee (K) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Scobee only appeared in eight contests last year due to a nagging quadriceps injury he suffered during warm-ups prior to the season opener against the Titans. However, in the eight games he managed to play in, he connected on 12-of-13 field goal attempts and hit 26-of-27 PATs. With quarterback David Garrard forming a turnover proof shield around the football and running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew running wild, the chances for Scobee to benefit will be insurmountable. If Scobee manages to play all 16 games with the skill set he encompasses, it wouldn’t be crazy to consider that he could morph into one of the top five kickers in the game.
Rob McCarthy has played fantasy sports since the days of tediously transferring his daily points from the
