K RANKINGS 16-30
Auction...............$3
Bye Week.............10
Gostkowski has emerged into one of the most consistent kickers in fantasy football. He's finished no worse than fourth in points at the position in four of the last five seasons, including a career-best 168 fantasy points (1st) in 2013. Gostkowski was also was tied with Justin Tucker for the highest total conversions (38) in the league. One of the best things about him was that Gostkowski made two or more field goals in every week. Now that's a very reliable kicker. He also converted on five field goals from beyond 50 yards and missed just three total attempts the entire year. When kickers start coming off the board in the late rounds, fantasy owners should expect Gostkowski's name to be one of the first called.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............4
Hauschka was a pretty strong option throughout 2013, converting 33 out of 35 field-goal attempts including three from beyond 50 yards. He also made at least one field goal in all but one game in 2013, so he was able to post a somewhat consistent amount of production for his owners. Overall, he finished fifth in fantasy points at his position and just 20 points behind the top kicker, Stephen Gostkowski. Hauschka will also remain in Seattle after signing a three-year, $9.15 million contract with the team during the offseason. Behind a productive offense and with a strong and consistent leg, there's no reason to believe that Hauschka won't once again rank among the better fantasy kickers in the whole league in 2014.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............11
Tucker wasn't at all consistent in the first half of the 2013 campaign, but he sure did finish on a high note. His most memorable performance came in Week 15, as he nailed six field goals, scored 22 fantasy points and helped countless owners earn a berth in their league's championship. Overall, Tucker finished tied for the league lead in conversions (38) while ranking third in fantasy points at his position. He also converted on 10 field goals from 40-49 yards and another six from 50-plus, so his leg strength isn't a question. The Ravens offense should continue to allow him more than his share of opportunities to score under new OC Gary Kubiak, so look for Tucker to remain one of fantasy football's top kicking options in 2014.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............8
It's unclear why the Cleveland Browns didn't make any kind of attempt to keep Dawson on their roster last season, but he prospered in his first campaign with the Niners. The veteran out of Texas converted 32 of the 36 field goals he attempted, names 44 extra points and ranked sixth in fantasy points among kickers. Not bad for someone who had been a fantasy afterthought for most of his NFL career. Dawson, 39, will remain in San Francisco after signing a one-year deal with the team, so there's a good chance he'll see plenty of opportunities once again. In fact, Dawson is now in the conversation as one of the 10 best kickers in fantasy land. He's a sure bet to be drafted at some point in the later rounds this season.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............11
Justin Tucker received a ton of media for his 22-fantasy point performance last season, but he wasn't the lone kicker to reach that total in a single week ... Bailey was also a fantasy star for countless owners, has he made five field goals and scored 22 points of his own in a loss to the Green Bay Packers. Overall, he finished ninth in fantasy points at his position and was rewarded with $22.5 million extension during the offseason. Not bad for a kicker! Bailey, who converted six field goals from 50 yards, should continue to see more than his share of opportunities in an offense that should be explosive with new OC Scott Linehan calling the shots. In fact there's no reason to think Bailey won't be a top-10 fantasy kicker once again.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............9
Crosby's roster spot seemed to be in jeopardy at the end of the 2012 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way last season. He ranked fourth in fantasy points at his position, finishing the season with 33 field goals in 37 attempts. All of his misses came before Week 11, which helped his fantasy owners during playoff time if their league scoring format penalized missed attempts. Crosby's best game of the season came in Week 5 when he made five field goals, including one conversion from beyond 50, and scored 18 fantasy points in a win over the Detroit Lions. Behind a strong offense that should continue to put points on the board with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, Crosby will no doubt remain a top-10 kicker this year.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
The Chargers suffered some early injuries at key skill positions last season, which led many to wonder whether the offense would be potent enough for Novak to get the necessary amount of chances to be productive. He exceeded the most optimistic of expectations, however, converting on 34-of-37 field-goal attempts with 42 extra points. He finished the season on fire as well, scoring fewer than nine fantasy points just once over his final seven contests. Novak also showed off his leg strength, nailing 11 field goals from 40 or more yards. Overall he ranked seventh in fantasy points among kickers. Following in the footsteps of former Bolts kicker Nate Kaeding, Novak is now a surefire No. 1 fantasy kicker and well worth a late-round pick.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
Walsh, who himself is an avid fantasy football owner, posted a forgettable 125 fantasy points and ranked outside of the top 15 among kickers this past season. It was disappointing due in large part to the fact that he was the highest-scoring kicker in the league in 2012. He did have his share of nice stat lines, but overall Walsh was inconsistent in the stat sheets. In fact, he scored eight or fewer fantasy points three of his final weeks of the 2013 campaign. He's still a young kicker at the age of 24, and the promise of a more potent offensive attack under new OC Norv Turner is also a positive. Overall, look for Walsh to be considered a low-end fantasy starter with upside definitely somewhere in the late rounds.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
Much like a fine wine, Vinatieri is getting better with age. In fact, the Colts signed him to a two-year deal in the offseason that will keep him in Indianapolis until he's 43. The veteran made a career-high 35 field goals last season, going 19-of-23 from 40-plus yards out while ranking eighth in fantasy points among kickers. He had a huge surge in December too, as 14 of his 35 conversions came in Week 13 or later. With Andrew Luck under center in an offense that should improve with Reggie Wayne back in the mix and Hakeem Nicks now on the roster, Vinatieri shouldn't hurt for scoring opportunities in 2014. Despite his extended age, the former Super Bowl hero is a good bet to have his name called in most 2014 drafts.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
Considering how many things went wrong for the Falcons in 2013, it's no surprise that Bryant experienced a major decline in fantasy production across the board. The third-best kicker based on fantasy points in 2012, Bryant fell all the way to 19th last season behind an offense that had a ton of injuries to its top stars. He should rebound in 2014, though, as Atlanta will have Steven Jackson, Julio Jones and Roddy White all back at 100 percent in an offensive attack that should thrive under Matt Ryan. In fact, Bryant could wind up being one of the five to eight best kickers in fantasy football if things fall into place. He's almost certain to have his name called at the end of drafts as a viable No. 1 kicker.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
Fresh off a major contract extension, Gould will look to maintain his status as one of the better fantasy kickers in 2014. He finished 13th in fantasy points in 2013, as he converted on 26-of-29 of his field goals and 45 extra points. Gould has now made at least 83 percent of his field-goal attempts in every season since his rookie campaign of 2005, and he's regarded as the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. The veteran out of Penn State is clearly on the radar as a borderline No. 1 fantasy kicker in 2014.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............6
Graham has been around at the NFL level ... he's kicked for 13 different teams including all four teams in the AFC North division and three of the four teams in both the AFC East and NFC East. The Saints dumped Garret Hartley halfway through 2013 and added Graham, who made some big kicks ... more notably four attempts in a road win over the Philadelphia Eagles during Wild Card weekend. Any kicker behind the Saints offense will get plenty of scoring chances, so Graham is once again on the fantasy radar as a potential No. 1 option.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............7
Henery has massive scoring potential behind what is an explosive Eagles offense, but potential didn't equate to points last season. In fact, he ranked a mere 21st in fantasy points among kickers. Henery also made just one field goal from 50-plus yards, which is a huge factor in making a kicker good and great in fantasy land. While the prospects of an even more potent offense under coach Chip Kelly are present, Henery needs to prove himself on the field before owners should swoon over him in 2014 drafts.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
Folk will be back with the Men in Green after signing a multi-year contract extension in the offseason. While he hasn't been the most consistent or accurate kicker in the land, he did put up top-12 fantasy production at his position last season. He nailed 33-of-36 field-goal attempts and 27 extra points, but Folk faltered big time down the stretch. In fact, he had one or fewer field goals in four of his final seven contests. Folk is what he is at this point in his career ... a No. 2 fantasy kicker and occassional matchup-based starter.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
The Lions have long had good veteran kickers, but the days of Jason Hansen and David Akers. Enter Freese, who will compete with Giorgio Tavecchio during training camp for the top spot on the team's depth chart. Freese has to be considered the favorite, though, as Detroit used a seventh-round selection on his in the NFL draft. A four-year starter at Boston College, Freese was one of two collegiate kickers without a miss (more than 10 attempts) last season. Behind what figures to be a powerful offense, Freese could have some sleeper value at his position in 2014.
K RANKINGS 16-30
