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Lance Fernandez discusses the pros and cons of including placekickers in fantasy football. Should placekickers be included or not?
At times, placekickers can spell the difference between winning and losing. Therefore, every attempt they make is essential to help their team win. While their moment lasts only seconds, there’s an entire science to their craft.
Since teams don’t score touchdowns to end all drives, getting a field goal is a nice consolation. However, in addition to figuring out the distance from the uprights, kickers must also consider the opposing team’s formation and the wind direction if playing outdoors. The crowd’s noise during road games also tests their mental fortitude.
While kickers play a vital role for every NFL team, some fans argue they should not be a part of fantasy football. Here are the two sides regarding that argument.
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Why Kickers Shouldn’t Be Included in Fantasy Football
While placekickers can add points to the board, the volatility of their impact makes some fantasy football players question the validity of their inclusion. There might be games when kickers don’t even get on the field because the offense is doing well.
I hate placekickers (from a strictly fantasy football standpoint, I’m sure they are nice people).
— McGritty (@TheDannyMcG) October 23, 2018
Conversely, there are situations when they must be the hero or the fall guy, depending on their kick. Likewise, some fantasy football players don’t ascribe to the generic system used to score field goals. They believe that conversions from longer distances should merit more points.
Why Kickers Must Be Included in Fantasy Football
Since fantasy football simulates a real roster, placekickers must have a role in the squad, as any NFL general manager would declare. They can impact the game at any point, especially during close-margin games. Therefore, the points they deliver can also make a difference in head-to-head matchups.
It’s also interesting to see a fantasy football player’s strategy regarding placekickers. Will they select one of the top kickers like Justin Tucker or Harrison Butker early? Or will they go through the waiver wire to select a decent option?
BREAKING: The #NFL has approved the new hybrid kickoff rule that will be in place just for this year, but potentially longer.
New Rules:
• The kicking team, other than the kicker, cannot move until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or the end zone.
• All… pic.twitter.com/ymrH4RBG3Z
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 26, 2024
For those who argue for placekicker’s inclusion in fantasy football, every part of the roster counts in winning. Hence, kickers should remain because they can be difference-makers, especially with the new kickoff rules in place.
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