Fantasy Football 2014 : Kicker Rankings
By Mario Hicks
Jan 12, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Francisco 49ers kicker Phil Dawson (9) makes a field goal against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
5. Phil Dawson, San Francisco 49ers
After an awful start, Dawson went on to the biggest tear of his 15-year career down the stretch. He had only 16 points in Weeks 1-4, missing three of his six field goal attempts. Then he promptly led all kickers in fantasy points (138) from Week 5 to Week 17, including eight straight double-digit games starting in Week 10.
4. Steve Hauschka, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is all defense, right? Don’t be so sure. We can’t forget that the Seahawks scored 417 points last season, eighth in the NFL, and an impressive 40.7 percent of their offensive drives ended in a score. That helped Hauschka put up his best season as a pro, jumping from 118 points in 2012 to 143 last year. With a 93.3 percent success rate on kicks of 40-plus yards (including 3-for-3 on 50-yarders), Hauschka finished fourth in total fantasy points with 158. If Percy Harvin is back in the lineup and as good as he was in the Super Bowl, Seattle’s offense — and Hauschka’s fantasy stock — could take a big step forward.
3. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
You have heard all the fantasy grumbling about how Aaron Rodgers’ injury (nearly eight missed games) hurt the fantasy production of Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb. But it may have hit Crosby the hardest. In the eight games in which Rodgers played the entire four quarters, Crosby scored 90 points. In the other eight contests, he tallied only 63 points. Crosby’s extra points plummeted from an average of 59 makes in 2011 and 2012 down to 42 a year ago. If Rodgers returns to form for the entire season, Crosby could make a run at No. 1.