Lineup calls: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST
Any fantasy owner who has played this game for a couple years has seen a playoff run ended by the exploits of a kicker.
No, I’m not talking about Garrett Hartley. That was not an attempt to jab at the Minnesota Vikings fans among you.
Fantasy matchups are frequently decided by the narrowest of margins, just like the real on-field action. It’s painful to watch the last players selected in your draft having such a large impact, but that’s the nature of the beast. It’s why you scream about the slowdown of an offense to set up a short field-goal attempt in the waning minutes of a game. You’re not nearly as salty when a guy trots out and boots a 50-yarder. It still stings, but he earned the points. That’s what you tell yourself, anyway.
Remember, kickers are people, too.
Let’s set up the Week 1 Lineup Calls at this throwaway, but still important, position
Top 5 Kickers
Kicker Sleepers
Neil Rackers vs. Indianapolis
Rackers takes over as the placekicker behind the potent Houston offense, forcing the Texans to wave goodbye to the last member of the original team (Kris Brown). He joins a squad, much like his tenure in Arizona, where you count on multiple PATs as a solid base and that he’ll continue to boom long-distance tries. I’m anticipating a shootout in this contest.
Phil Dawson at Tampa Bay
The Browns certainly aren’t flashy, but they’ve been much more efficient this preseason behind Jake Delhomme. This is a good spot against a young, developing Tampa Bay defense where the Cleveland defense should be able to control field position. Dawson kicked well down the stretch for the Browns as the team started to gel under Eric Mangini (four straight multi-field goal games to close 2009).
Jason Hanson at Chicago
If you believe in Matthew Stafford (don’t start singing), then you bring veteran kicker Hanson along for the ride, provided that he’s cleared for the opener. Hanson has been a steady plug-in option behind pedestrian quarterbacks and can still be trotted out for longer attempts. Stafford’s growth and the arrival of Jahvid Best should make Hanson a factor in Chicago.
Sebastian Janikowski at Tennessee
The Raiders are expected to be more productive behind Jason Campbell this season. I don’t think that it necessarily translates into a ton of points, but you will see more consistent (and probably shorter) attempts from Janikowski. The Titans played much better football in the second half of last season, and I don’t believe the Raiders suddenly become red zone juggernauts. Still, Campbell’s accuracy should at least extend a pair of drives into Janikowski’s extended range in this one.
Kicker Flops
Billy Cundiff at New York Jets
Cundiff won a heated competition with veteran Shayne Graham this summer, with the announcement of the winner coming in the final cuts. Overall, I think Cundiff has the ability to rank as one of the season’s biggest bargains, but I’m not sure how much of an impact he’ll have in what could be a very low-scoring affair. Will the run game be able to get a push against the New York front? Will Joe Flacco be able to find space downfield now that Darrelle Revis has rejoined the New York secondary? It’s possible that Cundiff’s posts a big game and receives multiple tries following stalled drives, but I can’t project big-time production.
Lawrence Tynes vs. Carolina
Tynes was a monster last season, producing 45 PATs and 27 field goals for Eli Manning’s offense. I’m moderately concerned about the offensive line and the potential for slowdowns against what was a top-10 defense a season ago. Tynes was shut out only once all season. That came in 2010.
