subject: Draft Tips: Always Take a Kicker Last...Unless [print this page] Draft Tips: Always Take a Kicker Last...Unless
Yes, it is true what they say. You should always take a kicker last.
So let's start with that premise. Why should you (almost) always wait to take a kicker until the final round of the draft? Using 2009 stats and assuming a 10 team 1 Kicker league, the top scoring Kicker put up 146 points while the 10th ranked Kicker went for 118 points - a difference of 28 points, which averages out to 1.75 points per game - not a big deal.
If you missed out on one of the top 3 finishers last year, the range dropped from 129 points (4th) to 118 points (10th), averaging out to a.68 points per game difference - pathetic.
The other reality is that kicker production is really hard to predict. How many of you picked David Akers to finish 2nd last season? Any one of the Kickers that finished 6-12 could have put up 1 extra field goal in 6 of their 16 games and climbed into the Top 5 or better.
Taking a Kicker early also means that you are leaving sleepers and high upside players at impact positions on the board. Those potential contributors might not last the duration of the draft or hang around in free agency too long. Meanwhile, you'll more than likely be able to find a comparable Kicker anytime you need one throughout the season.
Basically, in standard leagues drafting a kicker last remains one of the cardinal rules of most fantasy football draft strategies, but there could be an occasional exception.
If your league rules and settings vary far enough from the standard, you may find a good reason to break the rule. For instance, if your league requires you to keep 2 Kickers you shouldn't wait until the last 2 rounds. One can wait until the end, but you should take your first one a few rounds sooner. I recommend gauging how other teams are drafting. Just make sure you get 1 quality kicker before other teams start filling in their second Kicker.
There could be other variations where taking a Kicker early might make sense, but they are bound to be few and far between.
