Undervalued place kickers: fantasy football sleepers

September 7, 2009 @ 03:57:12

By Cory J. Bonini
Edited by Tim Heaney

KFFL.com's analysis of fantasy football sleepers and undervalued players for the 2009 season will be updated weekly this offseason. We have released the evaluations earlier than ever before!

Our friends at MockDraftCentral.com can be thanked for the average draft placement (ADP), and each of these figures will also be current to provide you the most accurate information available. According to Mock Draft Central, the following information is from performance leagues without point-per-reception scoring and has been updated weekly.

QB | RB | WR | TE | DT

Shayne Graham | Cincinnati Bengals | Average draft placement: 210.0 | Last week: 239.9

Graham isn't even being drafted in 12-team, performance-scoring leagues. We recognize kickers are fickle and a dime a dozen, but we're looking a down year in 2008 because of quarterback Carson Palmer (elbow) being injured for much of the year. In 2007, Graham was the fifth-best fantasy points scoring place kicker in our standard format (one point per extra point, three points for field goals within 39 yards, four points between 40-49 and five points for 50-plus). Graham finished ninth in 2006, third in 2005 and fourth in 2004.

Fantasy value: One down year that wasn't Graham's doing is not a reason for him to go undrafted in standard formats. A groin injury has hampered him, but he should be fine for Week 1. He is a low-end No. 1 place kicker with the capability to produce like a top-five option in 2009.

Steven Hauschka | Baltimore Ravens | Average draft placement: N/A | Last week: N/A

The soon-to-be 24-year-old Hauschka is expected to replace veteran Matt Stover for the Ravens. Hauschka has a strong leg and subbed in for Stover at times in 2008, making a 54-yarder in Week 10. Stover averaged 32 field goal attempts and 35 extra point tries from 2006 to 2008 with the Ravens, so Hauschka should receive plenty of opportunities.

Fantasy value: View Hauschka as a potential starting fantasy kicker, but he isn't likely to be drafted in most leagues. Look for him off the waiver wire if he starts out hot.

QB | RB | WR | TE | DT

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Cory J. Bonini

Cory J. Bonini is a senior editor at KFFL. In late 2002, Bonini joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst. He vaulted himself into one of the industry's leading fantasy analysts.

Bonini has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, he has been featured in print, on the radio and is also a published writer on scores of sites. Bonini co-hosts Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio each Wednesday evening from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. ET.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors.

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