I dont put a lot of thought on kickers... but WTF ?

[snatchit 108]

I watched missed extra points all weekend, and in both Monday night games. 

[Jedi Sensei 17]

PATs aren't gimmies anymore.  That everyone -- scrubs, or the best of the best -- is missing them proves the point.  (no pun intended)

 

[AxeElf 787]

Pretty soon it will be the norm to go for 2, apparently.

[snatchit 108]

20 minutes ago, Jedi Sensei said:

PATs aren't gimmies anymore.  That everyone -- scrubs, or the best of the best -- is missing them proves the point.  (no pun intended)

 

Ya Buckner, Crosby.. crazy

 

[jackjohn 31]

2 minutes ago, snatchit said:

Ya Buckner, Crosby.. crazy

 

Buckner let another one go between his legs?! Shouldve retired after the world series... Boston fans are gonna be sour!

[AxeElf 787]

2 hours ago, jackjohn said:

Buckner let another one go between his legs?! Shouldve retired after the world series... Boston fans are gonna be sour!

I was axually thinking about that play when Hardman let the punt roll between his legs without even touching him.

[Donkey 34]

Lost by .5, friggin' Crosby

[Frozenbeernuts 2,330]

5 hours ago, AxeElf said:

I was axually thinking about that play when Hardman let the punt roll between his legs without even touching him.

Really dumb play by him

[polecatt 485]

Pay attention to kickers.

Maybe not as much as other spots but I've never understood why people want to overlook them completely, especially if your league gives you bonuses for long FGs or penalty for missed XPs.

I've never regretted trying to have a good kicker

[AxeElf 787]

3 hours ago, polecatt said:

Pay attention to kickers.

To some extent, but it shouldn't take up much of your time.

To start the year, just try to get a Kicker on a team with a decent offense that plays inside a dome, preferably with a later bye week.

Then when you get past the first bye week or two in the season, you go to the player list and swap out your guy for the Kicker with the most points on the season up to that point, and you keep that one for the rest of the season (barring extenuating circumstances).

QED

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

13 hours ago, AxeElf said:

Pretty soon it will be the norm to go for 2, apparently.

I'm surprised teams haven't already taken to this.  

[kilroy69 1,265]

on the other hand the guy for cincy got me 17 points.

[nospk 230]

Gostkowsuck cost me a win by 0.2 in week 1. Dropped him forever 

[AintNoStoppinMeNow 68]

I've been rolling with Bullock in Cincy and have been very happy. Burrow is good enough to get the Bengals up and down the field but still raw enough to struggle in the red zone. In the same thought, I'd look at adding Rodrigo Blackenship from the Colts. Rivers is getting the Colts into scoring opportunities but they aren't cashing in while the rookie out of Georgia is taking advantage. 

[TimHauck 3,284]

2 hours ago, nospk said:

Gostkowsuck cost me a win by 0.2 in week 1. Dropped him forever 

He did well in weeks 2 & 3 though, and now already had his bye week.  I’m targeting him in 1 league I have Crosby.

 

8 hours ago, AxeElf said:

To some extent, but it shouldn't take up much of your time.

To start the year, just try to get a Kicker on a team with a decent offense that plays inside a dome, preferably with a later bye week.

Then when you get past the first bye week or two in the season, you go to the player list and swap out your guy for the Kicker with the most points on the season up to that point, and you keep that one for the rest of the season (barring extenuating circumstances).

QED

This.  I’m not sure if there’s been research on preseason rankings vs where they finished, but kickers always seem to have a ton of variation in that regard.   So I agree with the never draft a kicker until your last pick, but once the season gets going you should pay attention to how they’re doing/matchups/weather/etc

[polecatt 485]

10 hours ago, AxeElf said:

To some extent, but it shouldn't take up much of your time.

To start the year, just try to get a Kicker on a team with a decent offense that plays inside a dome, preferably with a later bye week.

Then when you get past the first bye week or two in the season, you go to the player list and swap out your guy for the Kicker with the most points on the season up to that point, and you keep that one for the rest of the season (barring extenuating circumstances).

QED

That's pretty good advice.

Of course there are always a couple of mainstays, year to year. Can't go wrong with Justin Tucker or Gostkowski, and before Vinatieri was good to have, ditto with Dan Bailey when he was with the Cowboys.

If you get a bonuses for 50+ yarders, the kicker in Denver isn't usually a bad option.

Of course kickers are streaky. Not a bad idea to change up if your kicker starts missing kicks.

[bobby heenan 60]

kickers are def important...just like a defense...they count and sometimes make the difference....just hard to predict but i guess thats like anything else

in my real high stakes main i had basically been setting my watch to tucker every year for the last 6 years or so....i would even draft him a round or two early just to have him...it made me feel "safe" lol.......last year harbaugh was wild.....he wouldnt let tucker kick 56-58 yarders sometimes...electing to punt when it wasnt really that crucial of a spot and he had a good team on both sides of the ball....he would go for it on 4th downs in weird spots where tucker would have an easy fg.....he would even go for 2 in random spots where it didnt even call for it almost on a whim......finally i said "fugg it" im not playing with harbaugh.....didnt get tucker....this year harbaugh seems to be back to more conventional approach

kickers are tough...one week the teams offense is stalling out in just the right places..other weeks they wont stall out at all on the other side of the 50 and youre getting nothing but extra points

[AxeElf 787]

Here, I'll give you all an Axe Elf Kicker story from 2012....

The Setup:

In my most expensive and biggest (14 team) money league of 2012, I finished the 13-week regular season in a three-way tie for the best overall record at 9-4, but I was the third seed in the 8-team playoffs due to having the fewest total points of the top 3 teams.  During the regular season, I split a 2-game series with the #1 seed, beat the #2 seed, beat the #4 seed, beat the # 5 seed (twice), beat the #6 seed (twice, after round 1 of the playoffs), and beat the #7 seed.  This week, I was facing the #2 seed again in the semi-final round of the playoffs, with the winner guaranteed at least second-place money and the loser needing to win the Week 16 consolation game just to cash.

The Game:

My opponent starts out strong with 24 points from the Cincinnati D on Thursday night, but five of my nine starters are Atlanta Falcons--Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez and Matt Bryant--all of whom combined for 78 points to strike a powerful counterpunch in their early Sunday game.  Meanwhile, his early Sunday players are largely engaged in some serious pooch-screwing.  He got a respectable 12 points from Matt Forte, but only 1 point out of Demaryius Thomas and only 2 points from Kyle Rudolph.

By the start of the late afternoon games, then, I had doubled his score, 78 to 39.  He had five players to go and I had four--I figured I was home free!

I swallowed hard when his Mikel Leshoure scored a TD barely 2 minutes into the late games--but then Leshoure did little else the rest of the game, and my DeMarco Murray ended up outscoring Leshoure 15-11.  My opponent got himself off the ropes with a pretty good 1-2 combination in Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace, putting up 30 points between the two of them--and I had little to counter.  I thought that flexing Denarius Moore against the lowly Chiefs would be a good idea, but when Moore only posted a number rhyming with his last name, I was kicking myself for not flexing DeAngelo Williams instead.  (This would have been particularly satisfying, having picked up Williams in mid-season when he was dropped by none other than my current opponent!)  I thought my other WR would be pretty solid as well, having averaged 90 yards and a TD per game over the last four weeks, but inexplicably, Danario Alexander posted a big fat donut for Mike Ditka in a Box (yeah, that’s my team name), and suddenly, things started to look less certain for my success.

And then, my opponent landed the most painful blow of all.  He had entered the week with Alex Green, Michael Bush, and Felix Jones as his backup RBs.  He could have started Dez Bryant as his flex player, but I guess he didn’t feel certain about Bryant’s ability to play through an injury.  And so, after another team had waived him on Wednesday, my opponent claimed Beanie Wells on Saturday and flexed him against me.  67 yards and 3 TDs later, I had been Beanied to a 97-104 deficit with one bullet left in my gun--the San Francisco defense, playing on Sunday night, against the most powerful offense in the National Football League, the New England Patriots.

I cheered each of the four turnovers the Niners forced, but hung my head and cursed Tom Brady both times that he tackled defenders inside the five yard line to prevent two separate return TDs.  I cursed Brady even more as the 31 points he engineered in the final 20 minutes of the game diminished my defensive score even further--but after the three sacks he surrendered, Sunday ended with my team ahead 106-104.

Unfortunately, my opponent also had one bullet left in his gun--his Monday Night Football kicker.  Just about any kicker has to be good for more than 2 points in just about any game, right?  I despaired.

Besides dropping Felix Jones for Beanie Wells, the league website documents that my opponent also dropped BAL K Justin Tucker one minute before he was locked in--at 12:59pm EST on Sunday--replacing him with TEN K Rob Bironas.  Parenthetically, Justin Tucker kicked 2 PATs and a 45 yard FG, which would have meant 6 points and a win for my opponent.

Come Monday night, the Titans took the opening kickoff and marched straight down the field in under five minutes, setting up Rob Bironas for a 46 yard FG attempt.  “Well,” I thought, “At least it was quick, if not painless.”  But... the kick was BLOCKED!!!  I knew right then that something was happening here.  Sure enough, the Titans offense sputtered the rest of the half, and their only scores were CJ2k’s 94 yard (and a half) TD--followed by a one point PAT for Bironas.

Late in the third quarter, Tennessee drove into FG range again, down by 3 points.  “Just SCORE already!” I prayed, and my prayer was answered, as the Titans got into the end zone without ever reaching even 3rd down on the drive.  Bironas scored one more point on the XP, and my game was tied--but at least the Titans were now in the lead.  As long as the Jets don’t score, Tennessee should be content to just run out the clock--and essentially, that’s what happened, as my playoff game ended in a 106-106 tie.

Due to the previous win over my opponent in the regular season, I was in possession of the playoff tiebreaker advantage, and Mike Ditka in a Box advanced to the league SuperBowl--which I ultimately won.

The Punch Line

The league website documents that Rob Bironas was waived by my opponent at 11:41pm that Monday night.

[Bills04 62]

Elf: thanks for the novel! 

[kb4all 2]

On 10/6/2020 at 11:46 AM, AxeElf said:

To some extent, but it shouldn't take up much of your time.

To start the year, just try to get a Kicker on a team with a decent offense that plays inside a dome, preferably with a later bye week.

Then when you get past the first bye week or two in the season, you go to the player list and swap out your guy for the Kicker with the most points on the season up to that point, and you keep that one for the rest of the season (barring extenuating circumstances).

QED

This.

[TimHauck 3,284]

On 10/6/2020 at 12:46 PM, AxeElf said:

To some extent, but it shouldn't take up much of your time.

To start the year, just try to get a Kicker on a team with a decent offense that plays inside a dome, preferably with a later bye week.

Then when you get past the first bye week or two in the season, you go to the player list and swap out your guy for the Kicker with the most points on the season up to that point, and you keep that one for the rest of the season (barring extenuating circumstances).

QED

You liking anyone in particular at this point?

I'm kinda liking Daniel Carlson.   Has missed a couple, but overall has been Mr. Consistency.    If I actually make it to the playoffs, the Raiders are home in LV for weeks 14-16.

[jrokh 615]

18 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

You liking anyone in particular at this point?

I'm kinda liking Daniel Carlson.   Has missed a couple, but overall has been Mr. Consistency.    If I actually make it to the playoffs, the Raiders are home in LV for weeks 14-16.

Using FFtoday's strength of schedule as a guide, NO, (Lutz), GB (crosby), Det (prater), and SF (Gould), all have favorable remaining schedules for kickers. There are others like Butker KC, and Rams/Raiders/Chargers that are also good. Cinci, and Indy look bad. 

[AxeElf 787]

20 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

You liking anyone in particular at this point?

Anyone who's already had their bye is a candidate.

I've always kind of liked Prater, holding the NFL record for the longest FG, having a decent offense but no Alpha back to pound it home in the red zone, and playing in a dome.

[posty 2,807]

When I played, kickers and defenses in my league started going in the 8th-10th rounds (out of 14)...  The scoring rules and keeper rules were the main reasoning...

[TBayXXXVII 2,656]

Justin Tucker is the only one I trust.  Otherwise, I play week to week.

[AxeElf 787]

On 11/2/2020 at 10:15 AM, AxeElf said:

I've always kind of liked Prater, holding the NFL record for the longest FG, having a decent offense but no Alpha back to pound it home in the red zone, and playing in a dome.

Thank you, Axe Elf!

[jrokh 615]

19 minutes ago, AxeElf said:

Thank you, Axe Elf!

good call on the 5.4 points from duke johnson. Thanks axe elf...

[AxeElf 787]

51 minutes ago, jrokh said:

good call on the 5.4 points from duke johnson. Thanks axe elf...

Duke Johnson isn't even a Kicker.  My call was Matt Prater, who just nailed a game-winning 59 yard FG.

Thank you, Axe Elf!

[jrokh 615]

9 minutes ago, AxeElf said:

Duke Johnson isn't even a Kicker.  My call was Matt Prater, who just nailed a game-winning 59 yard FG.

Thank you, Axe Elf!

your call was matt prater on 11/2, its 11/15 today. Just pointing out regardless, that for everyone you get right you get 4 or 5 wrong. Just like duke johnson and his 5.4 points. Thanks axe elf!

[AxeElf 787]

35 minutes ago, jrokh said:

your call was matt prater on 11/2, its 11/15 today.

Good eye.  So if someone listened to Axe Elf's recommendation to pick up Matt Prater for their Kicker the rest of the way on 11/2, they are already reaping the benefits of his wisdom barely two weeks later!

Thank you, Axe Elf!

[jrokh 615]

10 minutes ago, AxeElf said:

Good eye.  So if someone listened to Axe Elf's recommendation to pick up Matt Prater for their Kicker the rest of the way on 11/2, they are already reaping the benefits of his wisdom barely two weeks later!

Thank you, Axe Elf!

And if they listened to you this week they would be stuck with duke and his 5.4 points. Thanks Axe Elf!

[TimHauck 3,284]

Not sure I’d trust Prater TBH. Looks like he’s had 3 dud games.

[AxeElf 787]

57 minutes ago, jrokh said:

And if they listened to you this week they would be stuck with duke and his 5.4 points. Thanks Axe Elf!

If they were dumb enough to start Duke as a K, they got what they deserved.

[TimHauck 3,284]

Hopefully you didn’t start Prater this week Elf...

[jrokh 615]

32 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

Hopefully you didn’t start Prater this week Elf...

good point. Nothing but crickets from the Gnome about his 'amazing' Prater for the rest of the season call. 

[AxeElf 787]

31 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

Hopefully you didn’t start Prater this week Elf...

Been sporting Carlson and McManus in my two leagues that use Ks this year, but yeah, that's why you always want to have two Ks in a Draft Master (best ball) league--they're highly inconsistent.

[AxeElf 787]

4 minutes ago, jrokh said:

good point. Nothing but crickets from the Gnome about his 'amazing' Prater for the rest of the season call. 

You approached weepeen levels of forking moronitude with that comment.  You call this "crickets"?

Prater spent the past two weekends scoring more fantasy points than any Ks not named Sanders or Bass, and don't forget where you heard it first.

Crickets my patootie.

[jrokh 615]

8 minutes ago, AxeElf said:

You approached weepeen levels of forking moronitude with that comment.  You call this "crickets"?

Prater spent the past two weekends scoring more fantasy points than any Ks not named Sanders or Bass, and don't forget where you heard it first.

Crickets my patootie.

I was referring to the crickets from you about the goose egg prater just put up yesterday, that anyone dumb enough to listen to you got as their just reward....

[AxeElf 787]

1 minute ago, jrokh said:

I was referring to the crickets from you about the goose egg prater just put up yesterday, that anyone dumb enough to listen to you got as their just reward....

I know people struggle to find chinks in the impenetrable fantasy football armor of Axe Elf predictions, but this one is really grasping at straws.

[jrokh 615]

17 minutes ago, AxeElf said:

I know people struggle to find chinks in the impenetrable fantasy football armor of Axe Elf predictions, but this one is really grasping at straws.

Not grasping at anything. You pointed out how great your Matt Prater call was earlier in the thread with your cartoonish 'thank you axe elf' nonsense. Yet when Prater puts up a zero, possibly costing any poor sap who listened to you a game, you say nothing, aka crickets...

Listen to the Elf, and you'll fall all over yourself.....