Top 2 Placekickers – Fantasy Football 2010 Sleeper Picks

If you have ever suffered defeat by just a couple of points on any given fantasy week (or worse – in the playoffs) you know that sinking feeling kickers get when they shank a field goal. The win was right there and then it slipped away “wide right”.

Rather than being a game of inches, fantasy football is a game of  fractional points. In the end, a mediocre kicker can cost you just as they cost their teams. Finding a sleeper at the PK position is actually easier than it seems.

Fantasy Football 2010 – Kick It Up A Notch!

We are not now, nor would we ever advocate selecting a kicker any sooner than round 16. Most would say that is still too early but we see it a little different. That being said, one or two owners go out of their way each year to get one of the top kickers and they usually do so way too early. Everyone else just sits back and takes a kicker with their last pick.

It’s really not asking much when we say you need to devote some pre-draft homework time to the PK position. In fact, the homework is not even that difficult. There are a few keys to finding a sleeper cell at the kicker position and they are all pretty much straight forward.

Look for kickers on team that have a dynamic offense. An up and coming offense is a good breeding ground for a sleeper at the PK position. Check which kickers have gone from a bad team to a good team.

Look for kickers who missed games from the previous season or were traded in midseason and then lit it up. Scout the team depth charts and never take a PK from a team that carries two kickers who are “competing” to be the starter.

2010 Fantasy Football Top 2 Sleepers – Placekicker

Garrett Hartley – Saints: Hartley missed the first 12 games in 2009 due to a suspension and a few nagging injuries. He would be a better fit as a sleeper had he not had such an impressive playoff run but his overall fantasy point total will look horrible to fantasy owners who have not done any PK homework. It is very possible that Hartley could lead all kickers in fantasy scoring during the 2010 fantasy football season.

David Buelher – Cowboys: The Cowboys have certainly had their share of ups and downs when it comes to the PK position. This season they turn to kickoff specialist Buelher to handle the place kicking duties. Buehler has a very strong leg as is evident by his league leading 29 touch-backs on kickoffs during his rookie season last year. The Cowboys will move the ball, score points and Buehler won’t not even make some radars because he had zero points during the 2009 fantasy football season. That is the perfect storm for a sleeper at the PK position.

Getting a solid kicker that you can plug in and leave in means you have one less thing to worry about during the fantasy football season. Don’t be left kicking yourself because you neglected the PK position on Draft Day!