Fantasy Football's Top 15 Kickers for 2010

Eric StashinJul 9, 2010

Kickers are generally a fantasy afterthought, with owners waiting until the last round to fill the spot. They are considered dispensable. There’s always a viable option available on the waiver wire, right?

While that’s all true, to an extent, that doesn’t mean that they can’t make a difference in winning or losing. No, I wouldn’t look to draft a kicker before the last round, as I would rather have depth at running back, quarterback, and wide receiver, the positions with the potential to bring in significantly more points. Still, there are weeks that just a point or two decides a winner, and the kicker is the ultimate difference.

Let’s take a look at how I’d rank the Top 15 options:

Nate Kaeding—San Diego Chargers
Stephen Gostkowski—New England Patriots
Mason Crosby—Green Bay Packers
Garrett Hartley—New Orleans Saints
David Akers—Philadelphia Eagles
Ryan Longwell—Minnesota Vikings
Rob Bironas—Tennessee Titans
Matt Prater—Denver Broncos
Lawrence Tynes—New York Giants
Dan Carpenter—Miami Dolphins
Jay Feely—Arizona Cardinals
Robbie Gould—Chicago Bears
Jeff Reed—Pittsburgh Steelers
Neil Rackers—Houston Texans
Adam Vinatieri—Indianapolis Colts

Thoughts:

Nate Kaeding went 32-for-35, including nine kicks of 40 yards or more (three over 50 yards). You couple the advantage of playing in generally good weather for the majority of the season with his accurate leg and you get the best option in the league.
Don’t forget about Neil Rackers, who joins the Texans after spending the past seven seasons in Arizona. He missed time at the end of the season with a groin injury and now will have to compete with Kris Brown for playing time. If he wins the job (and it’s assumed he will), he will be a usable option.
Ryan Longwell did the job last season (26-for-28) and certainly benefits from playing half his games in a dome.
Rob Bironas went 10-for-12 from 40-49 yards and five-for-six from 50-plus yards. Being that accurate from long range goes a long way in making a valuable kicker.

Make sure to check out our 2010 rankings:

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

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