Greg Zuerlein: Rams Kicker in Position to End Year Atop Fantasy Rankings

Most people will tell you that kickers don't matter in fantasy football.

Anyone who had David Akers on their team last year would not be one of those people.

Don't get me wrong. Drafting a kicker anywhere earlier than the last round is sillier than putting a salmon in one pocket and honey in the other and jumping into the bear cage at the zoo. It's just too unpredictable as to which kickers will be successful year in and year out.

But once the season gets started and you get an idea of what little guys—Sebastian Janikowski not included—will get plenty of large opportunities, it's worth it to actually pay attention to your kicker position.

This year's No. 1 kicker and fantasy savior will be St. Louis Rams rookie Greg Zuerlein. 

The six-foot-nothing, 187-pound youngster out of the powerhouse that is Missouri Western State has proven to have something similar to Cristiano Ronaldo's right leg coming out of his waist. 

Through the first three games of the season, Zuerlein—whose first name happens to rhyme with "leg"—knocked down all eight of his field-goal attempts, including a mammoth shot from 56 yards out. 

Against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, he outdid himself.

By a large margin. 

Zuerlein got things started in the first quarter by breaking his career best with a 58-yard shot. After a lousy 48-yard field goal, he once again broke his career best; this time, with a 60-yarder (via Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm):

"

Rookie of the Year: Greg Zuerlein. 60. YARD. FIELD. GOAL.

— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) September 30, 2012"

I know what you're thinking. Oh, whatever. This can guy can hit 60-yarders. But what about the chip shots?!

Well, have no fear. Zuerlein finished off his day by nailing a 24-yarder in the fourth quarter—he really can do it all. 

In addition to clearly having a huge leg and pinpoint accuracy, Zuerlein is in the perfect position to continue to rack up fantasy points at his current thundering pace. 

The Rams aren't an offensive powerhouse. Sam Bradford appears on track to finally silence his critics and Steven Jackson is still just as good as always. They will be able to move the ball, and their underrated defense will often create easy opportunities for the offense, but there will still be plenty of times when they stall.

AKA fantasy heaven for a kicker. 

Greg Zeurlein is owned in a whopping 16.2 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues. I'm not saying to put a waiver claim in for him, but if he makes it through that process, don't hesitate to pick him up. 

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