Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Kyle Smith
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

 
WEEK 8 RANKINGS  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  |  DEF

Week 7 was another productive one for fantasy football kickers, with 12 players at the position registering double-digit point totals. Nick Folk was the leader at the end of the week with 18 points, which was nearly double the total he amassed from his previous three games combined. Fantasy owners also saw Dan Bailey continue to kick well after a slow start, a rebound from Greg Zuerlein and Mason Crosby kick one through the uprights after not doing so for three weeks.

How will this week turn out? Let’s take a look at our Fantasy Football Week 8 Kicker Rankings and find out.

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF OCTOBER 25, 2012::

1. Matt Bryant (Atlanta Falcons) @ Philadelphia

Bryant and the Falcons were off last week, yet he is still in eighth place in fantasy scoring among kickers. He’s currently tied for ninth in both field goals made and extra points, and has made more kicks this season from 40 or more yards (seven) than he has from inside 40 (six), which is what fantasy owners love to see. He has a solid match-up this week in Philly against an Eagles team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG for rest of article) to kickers.
Point Projection: 17 points

2. Stephen Gostkowski (New England Patriots) @ St. Louis

Gostkowski only made two field goals last week in New England’s OT win over New York, but they were huge. His first kick was from 43 yards at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, and his other was a 48-yard boot that wound up being the difference. Gostkowski’s 11 fantasy points for the game marked the fifth time in seven contests that he amassed double-digits, and he’s not had fewer than seven fantasy points in any game. He’s second among kickers in scoring, and should stay that way after this week’s game against the Rams in London.
Point Projection: 14 points

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3. Sebastian Janikowski (Oakland Raiders) @ Kansas City

Janikowski tied for third in fantasy scoring among kickers this week by hitting four of his five field goals and two extra points in Oakland’s OT win against Jacksonville. He nailed kicks from 21, 31, 33 and 40 yards, and those boots represented the first time this season that he had done anything but kick exactly two field goals in a game. Janikowski is now tied for sixth in the league in field goals made, but is in the middle in fantasy scoring due to his lack of long-distance kicks and PATs. We love him this week though, because he still has a huge leg and his opponent, the Chiefs, are third from the bottom in scoring defense this season, and ninth in FPPG given up to kickers.
Point Projection: 13 points

4. Robbie Gould (Chicago Bears) vs. Carolina

Gould had his first miss of the season last week during Chicago’s win over Detroit, though the kick was blocked. Still, it’s technically a miss, though he also hit from 21 and 39 yards in the game to make for a decent outing. Most of Gould’s kicks this season have come from inside 40 yards, but he’s still attained double-digit fantasy points in four of his six games and is playing a Panthers team this week that has allowed the most FPPG to kickers in the NFL – they haven’t given up fewer than 11 fantasy points in a game to a kicker this year.
Point Projection: 13 points

5. David Akers (San Francisco 49ers) @ Arizona

Akers was 2-for-2 during the 49ers’ win over the Seahawks last Thursday, and also made an extra point during the game. It wasn’t the most noteworthy of contests for the left-footed kicker, but it was nice to see him make both kicks, because in his last three games with multiple attempts, he had missed at least once. Akers isn’t the fantasy option he was last season, mostly because he’s 6-for-11 on kicks from 40+ yards, but he’s fourth in the NFL in field goal attempts, and that alone is worthwhile because of the point potential – now he just needs to start making a few more.
Point Projection: 13 points

6. Matt Prater (Denver Broncos) vs. New Orleans

Prater and the Broncos were on a bye this week, so he was likely dropped en masse, if he hadn’t already been. He had been a disappointment this year, with two games of double-digit fantasy scoring, and four of five or fewer points. But this week is probably a good one to pick him up, considering the Broncos are playing at home against the Saints. It should be a shootout, and though the Saints haven’t given up a tremendous amount of fantasy points to kickers, never underestimate how terrible their defense is.
Point Projection: 12 points

7. Mason Crosby (Green Bay Packers) vs. Jacksonville
Before last week, Crosby hadn’t made a field goal since Week 3. But he booted a trio of three-pointers in Green Bay’s win over St. Louis, from 23, 47 and 48 yards. Yes, he did miss one kick (and badly), but it was a 58-yard bomb at the end of the first half. So Crosby wasn’t perfect, but he did get back into the swing of things with only his second double-digit fantasy point total of the season, and with Green Bay’s offense rolling, gets to face a Jacksonville team that will be without it’s best (and only, really) offensive player, and which has allowed the fifth-most FPPG to kickers this season.
Point Projection: 12 points

8. Shaun Suisham (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Washington

Suisham made a pair of 42-yard field goals and a 47-yarder as well as one PAT to help the Steelers defeat the Bengals on Sunday. Those points put him in a tie for fifth in fantasy scoring among kickers on the week and elevated him to 10th in scoring for the season. Suisham is tied for sixth in field goals made and tied for eighth in field goal percentage, and has double-digit fantasy points in four of his six games this year, including each of the last three. His match-up this week is good as well, because just six teams are giving up more FPPG to kickers than Washington.
Point Projection: 12 points

9. Steven Hauschka (Seattle Seahawks) @ Detroit

Hauschka’s two field goals last week were all the points Seattle could muster in their loss to San Francisco. He hit from 52 and 35 yards, but also missed from 51 yards. Hauschka is now just 1-for-3 from 50 or more yards, a number that fantasy owners can’t ignore, because distance kicks equal points, and he has also made only two boots from between 40-49 yards. However, the matchup against a Lions defense that is giving up double-digit points weekly to opposing kickers, means Hauschka could be worth gambling on.
Point Projection: 11 points

10. Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis Colts) @ Tennessee

Vinatieri’s only field goal during the Colts’ win over the Browns was a 38-yard try in the fourth quarter. He also hit two PATs, putting him in double-digits in that statistic. Nonetheless, his fantasy prowess is limited due to his lack of regular opportunities and a field goal percentage that is tied for 25th. But if a fantasy owner were to take a chance on Vinatieri, it would have to be this week against the Titans, who have the worst scoring defense in the NFL and are allowing the third-most FPPG to kickers.
Point Projection: 11 points

11. Greg Zuerlein (St. Louis Rams) vs. New England

Fantasy owners had to wonder whether a rookie like Zuerlein would have his confidence shaken after missing a trio of field goals in Miami during Week 6. Apparently not, because he made field goals from 43 and 50 yards, as well as two extra points in the Rams’ loss to the Packers. He’s now third among kickers in fantasy scoring, second in field goals made and has made more kicks from 40 or more yards than anyone else in the league.
Point Projection: 11 points

12. Dan Bailey (Dallas Cowboys) vs. New York Giants

Bailey started slowly this season, which was a surprise considering how well he had done last season as a rookie. Through his first four games this year, Bailey had amassed double-digits in fantasy points in just one game, and that was a 10-point outing. After a bye during Week 5, he came back strong with 12 points in Week 6 and 14 points last week, which was tied for third-most. He made all four of his field goals in the Cowboys’ win over the Panthers, from 19, 28, 38 and 49 yards, and one PAT. He faces the Giants this week, and they’re just a middle of the road match-up which shouldn’t scare off any fantasy owners.
Point Projection: 10 points

**2012 BRUNO BOYS FANDUEL WEEK 8 CHAMPIONSHIP —$5 TO PLAY—$8,000 IN PRIZE MONEY** 

We’ve partnered with FanDuel.com to provide our fans an opportunity to play WEEKLY salary cap fantasy football against the Bruno Boys Staff.  In Week 8, we are offering a $500 worth of cash prizes and a the winner gets a seat in our Week 11 Bruno Boys Championship Make sure to sign-up now for a chance to win $8,000 in prize money and take on the Bruno Boys… IT’S JUST $5!!

Please use this link to enter for JUST $5 in Week 8:  $500 IN PAYOUTS/ SEAT IN BBFC  (click to register)

13. Blair Walsh (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Tampa Bay

Last week, for the first time in his very young career, Walsh did not make or even attempt a field goal as the Vikings took down the Cardinals. The rookie is now tied for third in field goals made, tied for sixth in accuracy, and tied for fourth in fantasy scoring. So it’s not like Walsh has fallen by the wayside due to one lousy contest. It’s bound to happen to every kicker at some point this season, and fantasy owners should maintain their confidence in him for the Vikings’ Thursday night game against Tampa.
Point Projection: 10 points

14. Lawrence Tynes (New York Giants) @ Dallas

Tynes had a ho-hum game in New York’s win over Washington, making field goals from 27 and 39 yards, as well as three PATs. He still leads all fantasy kickers in scoring, field goals made and field goal attempts, and is tied for fifth in extra points. But he does have a difficult match-up this week in Dallas. He had only a single field goal against then in Week 1, only four teams have given up fewer FPPG to kickers than they have, and they’ve only allowed a single field goal from 40 or more yards this year.
Point Projection: 10 points

15. Garrett Hartley (New Orleans Saints) @ Denver

Hartley has made at least three extra points in every game this season, but never more than a pair of field goals. He didn’t make any three-pointers last week in the Saints’ win over the Bucs, but he didn’t try any either. Hartley amassed five PATs in the game, and that accounted for the entirety of his fantasy scoring. He’s actually among the bottom in scoring for the season, which is something of a surprise considering how well the Saints move the ball. And though Hartley hasn’t displayed a big leg this season (five of his seven field goals have come from inside 30 yards), he plays in Denver this week, and that’s always a positive for a kicker.
Point Projection: 9 points