Fantasy Football MBA: 5 Tips for Choosing Your Fantasy Football Kicker

Some say that fantasy football kickers don't deserve any thought at all. While they are capricious, you mustn't squander any opportunity to improve your team or do anything that hurts your team. Whether you're drafting your fantasy football team's kicker or replacing one that's on bye or under-performing, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to your fantasy kicker:

1. Look for kickers on teams with solid defenses. Kickers who play for teams that boast solid defenses find themselves frequently playing in close games and thus have more opportunity to kick field goals as the teams try to eek out victory any way possible.

2. Look for a kicker that plays on a team with a good but not great offense. The team should be good enough to move the ball but not very proficient at scoring TDs. Ideally, select a kicker that plays for a team that tends to bog down in the red zone and settle for FGs. Why? Because a FG is at least 3 points in most fantasy football leagues -- sometimes more depending on distance bonuses -- whereas PATs are only worth 1 point in the vast majority of leagues. This is why kickers for highly efficient offenses like that of the Colts or Saints will likely never be the top fantasy kicker -- lots of PATs, few FGs.

3. Look for a kicker with a big leg. This is especially important if your league gives bonuses for longer FGs. You want as many opportunities to score a FG as possible from your K and those bonuses can really add up quickly.

4. Look for a kicker that has a high conversion rate. You don't want too many missed opportunities to gain points. Worse, some leagues penalize for missed FGs.

5. Late in the year, you may want to swap out your kicker for one that plays in a good-weather stadium or dome. Weather isn't too influential in the first half of the season, but during your fantasy playoffs you may not want to rely on a kicker that plays in places that are prone to high winds and other late-season inclement weather.

Widget by Bloggers University