Fantasy Football Player Rankings & Projections

2010 Kickers Preseason Preview

 

Ryan Longwell

Drafting a kicker is somewhat a shot in the dark, but Ryan Longwell has proven himself and makes one of the safer kickers to draft in 2010.

1. Ryan Longwell - Vikings - 2010 Preview:

He can drill it from past fifty yards consistently and playing indoors in Minnesota makes his job a lot easier. The Viking offense should provide plenty of scoring opportunities for Longwell owners.

2009 Statistics: 132 Pts - 92.9% - 10/11 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 134 Pts - 91.1% - 12/16 FG 40+

 

2. David Akers - Eagles - 2010 Preview:

Year after year Akers ranks amongst the best kickers and that is what you need when drafting a kicker, consistency. He still can drill the long ones converting 12 of 16 from forty and beyond.

2009 Statistics: 139 Pts - 86.5% - 12/16 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 141 Pts - 87.4% - 11/15 FG 40+

 

3. Nate Kaeding - Chargers - 2010 Preview:

Another consistent performer who scored a league-lead 146 points. For whatever reason he does not get a lot of the money-making 40 plus yarders (about ten per year for his career), but he is very accurate (87.2% lifetime) and averages 125 points a season.

2009 Statistics: 146 Pts - 91.4% - 9/12 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 138 Pts - 90.5% - 10/13 FG 40+

 

4. Jay Feely - Jets - 2010 Preview:

A a great run game and defense usually comes a high-scoring kicker. The veteran nailed 12 of 15 from 40 and beyond and that should remain true in 2010. Feely should also see us an increase in his extra points with the young and improving Jet offense.

2009 Statistics: 122 Pts - 83.3% - 12/15 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 130 Pts - 83.8% - 14/17 FG 40+

 

5. Rob Bironas - Titans - 2010 Preview:

Bironas makes his living nailing field goals from 40 yards and out. He has hit an incredible 31 out of 38 field goals from this range, including 6 of 7 from 50 and beyond. That is exactly what you want in a fantasy kicker, 40-plus yard attempts and makes.

2009 Statistics: 118 Pts - 84.4% - 15/18 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 121 Pts - 84.8% - 13/16 FG 40+

 

6. Sebastian Janikowski - Raiders - 2010 Preview:

Janikowski has a cannon for a leg and it showed by drilling 15 of 18 from 40 yards and beyond. His powerful boot has drilled one as far as 61 yards. The addition of quarterback Jesse Campbell should stabilize the Raider offense and allow his points score to improve while still booting the long ones for your fantasy team.

2009 Statistics: 95 Pts - 89.7% - 15/18 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 116 Pts - 87.5% - 14/19 FG 40+

 

7. Matt Prater - Broncos - 2010 Preview:

Prater improved his 40 yard plus field goal percentage in 2009 and that puts him into the preseason top-ten. Getting the Denver kicker is always nice because of the easy kicking in the high altitude of Denver and the improving Denver offense should give him plenty of chances.

2009 Statistics: 122 Pts - 85.7% - 10/13 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 129 Pts - 86.2% - 12/16 FG 40+

 

8. Mason Crosby - Packer - 2010 Preview:

Crosby struggled with the long kicks in 2009 (only 6 of 13), but that happens in Green Bay. Under the high-powered Green Bay offense, Crosby has averaged 132 points a season for his career and that makes him an easy top-ten fantasy kicker.

2009 Statistics: 129 Pts - 75.0% - 6/13 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 131 Pts - 79.5% - 10/14 FG 40+

 

9. Stephen Gostkowski - Patriots - 2010 Preview:

A very good kicker who kicks for a very good offense. There is always the worry of the offense being too efficient and thus a low amount of field goal attempts, but his 136 points per season average over the last three years gets him a top-ten nod.

2009 Statistics: 125 Pts - 83.9% - 7/11 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 130 Pts - 85.3% - 7/10 FG 40+

 

10. (tie) Garrett Hartley - Saints - 2010 Preview:

Mr. Clutch in the playoffs is a hard one to rate, but kicking for the world champion New Orleans Saints offense makes it a lot easier. Hartley is an indoor kicker and he should get plenty of easy extra points and short field goals to balance out any risk of his faltering in 2010.

2009 Statistics: 37 Pts - 81.8% - 0/1 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 124 Pts - 84.3% - 6/9 FG 40+

 

10. (tie) Josh Brown - Rams - 2010 Preview:

Yes he kicks for the lowly Rams, but he does kick indoors for at least half of his games and that combined with his 12 of 15 from 50 yards and beyond in his two seasons with the Rams makes him worthy of the preseason top-ten. The hope is the Ram offense improves a notch in 2010 to give Brown more field goal attempts.

2009 Statistics: 73 Pts - 79.2% - 10/14 FG 40+

2010 Projection: 115 Pts - 81.8% - 12/16 FG 40+