The NFL Draft is now over and the next big event for football fans is likely their very own fantasy football drafts. The Game Haus will have rankings by both Joe DiTullio and Braxton Angle, as well as composite rankings, coming out over the coming weeks. The rankings are for standard leagues. These will be adjusted when the season gets closer, but it’s never too early to look ahead. Here are Joe’s K rankings:
Kicker rankings: 1-10
1. Stephen Gostkowski- New England Patriots
Gostkowski ranked second last season and hit the second most PATs. He is still ridiculously accurate, making 37 of 40 field goals. The Patriots’ offense will likely take a small step back this season with the loss of Dion Lewis, Dany Amendola and Brandin Cooks, but will still give Gostkowski ample opportunities to hit field goals.
2. Greg Zuerlein- Los Angeles Rams
The Rams had a spectacular year and that includes Zuerlein. He hit 38 of 40 field goals and only missed one of the attempts deeper than 40 yards. With the Rams offense likely being figured out more as teams have a whole offseason to figure out how to stop it, he should see less opportunity. Being that he was the best fantasy kicker last year, his regression won’t leave him too low in the rankings. He also had back surgery earlier this offseason, which will be something to keep tabs on in the preseason.
3. Justin Tucker- Baltimore Ravens
Although he finished third last year, Tucker just simply wasn’t given enough opportunities. Baltimore’s offense should improve slightly with their focus on selecting tight ends in the 2018 NFL Draft. Tucker missed three field goals last season but hit all of his extra points. With more opportunity, Tucker will pay off.
4. Matt Bryant- Atlanta Falcons
Bryant finished second last season, using his long field goals to bolster his scoring. He hit eight field goals of over 50 yards. He plays home games indoors, which helps his value as well. He slides down a spot because he won’t get the same amount of work from deep and he’s 42 years old.
5. Dan Bailey- Dallas Cowboys
A healthy Bailey is a must-own in fantasy. Last year he wasn’t healthy, but he should be back to form this season. He is lethally accurate and will likely be helping an offense that can move the ball, but will struggle with getting it in the end zone from time to time.
6. Robbie Gould- San Francisco 49ers
Gould got good work in last year with the third most attempts in the league. His PATs were relatively low and that should flip this season creating a little bit worse of a year for him. He is going to see the benefit of having Jimmy Garoppolo there though as he posted big weeks at the end of the season with Garoppolo at the helm.
7. Chris Boswell- Pittsburgh Steelers
He might not be one of the top-tier kickers in the NFL, but he should be coveted in fantasy because of the team he plays for. He hit 37 of 39 PATs and 35 of 38 field goals in 2016. His accuracy improved last year, but he could do better by converting all of his PATs. At points, he can be a boom or bust play, as the Steelers can score touchdowns without needing any field goals in some matchups.
8. Will Lutz- New Orleans Saints
Another kicker that befits a lot based on how productive his offense is, Lutz finished eighth in fantasy points last year. To go along with the good offense, he also gets to play in a dome for his home games, which is a nice luxury to have. He led the league in PATs and had six games of double-digit scoring.
9. Matt Prater- Detroit Lions
Prater still has a strong leg and connected on seven field goals of over 50 yards. Four of his seven makes from 50-yard range were in the first three weeks of the season and he really slowed down near the end of the season. That’s something to be cautious about in 2018, but he should have another solid season.
10. Jake Elliot- Philadelphia Eagles
The Jake Elliot story from 2017 is a unique one. He gets drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, gets cut, misses week one, signs with the Eagles, finishes 14th among kickers for fantasy points among kickers and then wins the Super Bowl with the Eagles. What a year. With a full 16 games (he’ll need to stay healthy for this too) and a year of experience, Elliot should finish in the top 10.
Kicker rankings: 10-15
11. Kai Forbath-Minnesota Vikings
Will the Vikings’ offense be as explosive as last year? Who knows, but they do have Kirk Cousins now. The offense should be fine, but Cousins didn’t allow Redskins’ kicker Dustin Hopkins to have a game of double-digit scoring last year (Hopkins was injured for a chunk of games in the middle of the season). Forbath is at best a matchup play for next season.
12. Harrison Butker- Kansas City Chiefs
Butker took his opportunity with the Chiefs and ran with it last season. He benefitted from having a good offense, which may not be the case this season. That mostly rides on the shoulders of Pat Mahomes. He should still be a solid fantasy kicker but to get back up into the top ten, he will need help from the Chiefs offense.
13. Ryan Succop- Tennessee Titans
Succop finished 11th last season but is too feast or famine to finish in the top 10. Five of his first seven games last season he scored in the double digits. The other two weeks he scored two and five points. After week seven he had six weeks of no double-digit scoring and then finished out the year with three more good outings, netting double digits. Concisely put, only play him on a matchup basis.
14. Adam Vinatieri- Indianapolis Colts
Yes, Vinatieri is back for another season. He finished 16th last season but should see added production if Andrew Luck can stay healthy. Although he is aging, he still hit five of six field goals from over 50 yards last season. He has the leg, the accuracy, the offense (pending Luck) and the indoor stadium to make it another successful year.
15. Graham Gano- Carolina Panthers
Gano rebounded from his bad 2016 season to have a solid 2017 season in which he scored 121 points. He did miss three extra points, but only missed one field goal. With the Panthers adding to their offense the last few offseasons, Gano should get some consistent work.
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