2014 Fantasy Football: Top 20 Kickers

This is part of the 2014 fantasy football preview. A look at the top quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and defenses can be found via the links on each position.

Fantasy football has many layers to it and one of them is figuring out which kicker an owner wants. It may seem like one of the least important picks of the entire draft but picking the right one on the right team could be the difference from one week to another whether a game is won or lost by one point. It is important to look for a kicker who is on a team that either scores a ton of points or gets stuck in the red zone a lot for field goal attempts or if there are bonus points for longer kicks. It is definitely an inexact science though since the difference between the top kicker and the No. 20 kicker isn’t much and usually ends up boiling down to owners just taking their favorite kicker. Here are the top 20 kickers going into the 2014 fantasy football season.

1. Matt Prater- Prater went 25-for-26 last season on his attempts for the Broncos. Denver and their high-powered offense is going to keep Prater busy again this season and there is also the possibility out there that Prater hits several 50-yard kicks in the thin Denver air.
2. Dan Bailey- Bailey missed just two kicks last season and is very reliable on a week in and week out basis. The Cowboys look like a team that is going to score quite a bit in 2014 so Bailey should be marching on the field a lot.
3. Blair Walsh- The 2013 season was solid for Walsh but he did miss four attempts, three of which were from over 50 yards. He also moves outside this season in Minnesota. However, the Vikings are likely to get stuck in field goal range a lot this year which makes Walsh a solid pick.
4. Stephen Gostkowski- 38 made field goals last season for Gostkowski in New England or over two per game. He is a points machine and if the Patriots can continue failing to get in the end zone like they did last year at times, another big year could be coming.
5. Justin Tucker- Like Gostkowski, Tucker made 38 field goals last season in 41 attempts. He is about as accurate as they come and the Ravens seem to have trouble in the red zone. That will give Tucker many more chances.
6. Steven Hauschka- A kicker in Seattle these days can be a busy person. Hauschka made 33 of his 35 attempts last year for his most accurate season ever. He is going to continue seeing the field a lot with the Seahawks offense in 2014.
7. Jay Feely- There was some issues with Feely last season with six missed attempts. The Cardinals offense should be better in 2014 but Feely is going to need to make the short kicks. He missed two inside 30 yards in 2013. His value is high via his situation though.
8. Robbie Gould- Gould made 26 kicks last season and with a strong Bears offense going up and down the field, he should see plenty of chances to dent the scoreboard again in 2014. The field goal numbers may never rise though.
9. Mason Crosby- When the 2013 season started, it looked like Crosby might be on his way out in Green Bay. After going 33-of-37 though, he is set at the Packers’ kicker. A strong leg and a great offense should lead to lot of points from Crosby this season.
10. Nick Novak- San Diego gave Novak plenty of opportunities to score points last season and he was fairly effective. The Chargers don’t appear to be slowing down any going in 2014 and Novak will be a good kicker to own.
11. Nick Folk- Folk was quite successful for the Jets last season, making 33-of-36 attempts for his best season ever. The Jets may be hard pressed to find the end zone again this season so Folk’s numbers could remain the same.
12. Phil Dawson- There is no doubt that Dawson will score a lot with the 49ers again this year. He made 32-of-36 last season but San Francisco seems on track to hit the end zone more often in 2014 which knocks Dawson’s value down some.
13. Adam Vinatieri- The 41-year-old made 35 field goals last season for the Colts. He isn’t slowing down any and should continue to find scoring opportunities with the Indianapolis offense in 2014.
14. Alex Henery- There weren’t many chances for Henery last season and he had trouble when he did get on the field. He is someone who may not make the Eagles’ roster out of training camp so keep a close eye on his status.
15. Matt Bryant- 24-of-27 is a good season and with the Falcons getting all the weapons back this coming year, Bryant many not even get that many field goal attempts. He is someone to start but may not put up huge numbers.
16. Dan Carpenter- Carpenter was very accurate last season for the Bills but competition may be nipping on his heels. It would appear that the only way Carpenter should be on a fantasy roster is as a bye week replacement.
17. Graham Gano- Gano made 24 field goals last season for Carolina. However, he could be a kicker that is a sleeper because of how the Panthers offense now looks without Steve Smith. Watch and see how many chances Gano gets in the preseason.
18. Shaun Suisham- The Steelers gave Suisham plenty of opportunities in 2013 as he went 30-for-32 on field goal attempts. Pittsburgh could find issues getting to the end zone again this season so Suisham may need to make more field goals in 2014.
19. Sebastian Janikowski- It was an awful season for Janikowski last year, making just 21-of-30 attempts. He shouldn’t be drafted unless he gets his accuracy back but is good for those really long attempts.
20. Greg Zuerlein- Zuerlein missed just two field goal attempts last season and has proven that he can make long kicks as well. He could see more action this season for the Rams and that could make him worth drafting.