The guys on this list are the cream of the crop of fantasy kickers, the top 10.  A few of these guys will undoubtedly be off the board before the last couple rounds.  So if you’re one of those owners that waits until the last round to draft a kicker, some of these guys may not be around.  But is that backup TE or fifth wideout really going to be as valuable to your team as an elite kicker?  That’s up to you to decide.  I hope this list helps you out.  After a quick recap of 11-30, here’s the top 10 fantasy kickers for 2008.

30) Jay Feely – Miami Dolphins : My Projection : 23/27 FGs, 26 PATs
29) Matt Bryant – Tampa Bay Buccaneers : My Projection : 24/29 FGs, 28 PATs
28) Rian Lindell – Buffalo Bills : My Projection : 24/30 FGs, 28 PATs
27) Mike Nugent – New York Jets : My Projection : 25/30 FGs, 27 PATs
26) Olindo Mare – Seattle Seahawks : My Projection : 22/29 FGs, 38 PATs
25) Sebastian Janikowski – Oakland Raiders : My Projection : 25/33 FGs, 30 PATs
24) Jason Elam – Atlanta Falcons : My Projection : 27/32 FGs, 27 PATs
23) Martin Gramatica – New Orleans Saints : My Projection : 22/30 FGs, 44 PATs
22) Matt Stover – Baltimore Ravens : My Projection : 26/30 FGs, 30 PATs
21) David Akers – Philadelphia Eagles : My Projection : 24/31 FGs, 37 PATs
20) John Kasay – Carolina Panthers : My Projection : 27/32 FGs, 32 PATs
19) Matt Prater – Denver Broncos : My Projection : 25/33 FGs, 38 PATs
18) Ryan Longwell – Minnesota Vikings : My Projection : 24/29 FGs, 41 PATs
17) Lawrence Tynes – New York Giants : My Projection : 25/31 FGs, 39 PATs
16) Mason Crosby – Green Bay Packers : My Projection : 26/32 FGs, 36 PATs
15) Jason Hansen – Detroit Lions : My Projection : 27/34 FGs, 34 PATs
14) Shaun Suisham – Washington Redskin s: My Projection: 28/34 FGs, 32 PATs
13) Josh Scobee – Jacksonville Jaguars : My Projection : 26/32 FGs, 39 PATs
12) Josh Brown – St. Louis Rams : My Projection : 27/33 FGs, 36 PATs
11) Kris Brown – Houston Texans : My Projection : 26/32 FGs, 39 PATs

10) Jeff Reed – Pittsburgh Steelers: Reed is as steady as they come, putting up at least 100 points in each of his five full seasons as a starter.  He’s accurate, he can make the longer kicks, and the Steelers’ offense provides him with plenty of scoring chances.  The only thing holding him back from moving up this list is his home field – Heinz Field.  The notoriously shoddy grass and tricky Pittsburgh weather makes it difficult to kick there – although Reed does it as well as anyone could.  He could be a solid starter for your team.  My Projection: 24/29 FGs, 46 PATs

9) Robbie Gould – Chicago Bears: Gould was the top fantasy kicker two years ago, and finished a respectable 7th overall last year.  I predict him to drop as a result of the Bears’ offseason losses on offense, but not too far.  Gould is just too proven a commodity to drop out of the top 10.  He’s accurate, and with the Bears not figuring to score a lot of touchdowns, will have a lot of FG opportunities.  Leg strength is not an issue – his 24 FGs from 40-49 yards over the least two seasons are tops in the league – even though he’s not going to make many from beyond 50 in the Windy City.  You can plug Gould in on week one and not have to worry much about your K position.  My Projection: 30/35 FGs, 29 PATs

8) Nate Kaeding – San Diego Chargers: Kaeding is about as reliable a fantasy kicker as you’re likely to find.  He hasn’t scored less than 112 points in any of his four years in the league, and is highly accurate to boot.  The Bolts’ offense will give him plenty of PAT opportunities, and long kicks don’t give him much trouble.  While I wouldn’t use too high a draft choice on him, Kaeding is very draftable and will provide solid returns on a later-round pick.  My Projection: 26/29 FGs, 44 PATs

7) Neil Rackers – Arizona Cardinals: It doesn’t get much better than Neil Rackers’ 2005 season, when he nailed an NFL-record 40 FGs.  Of course, two years have been a different story as Rackers has struggled from long distance.  Fortunately for him, the Cards’ offense has improved mightily, so his PAT attempts have gone up.  I see that trend continuing this year, as either Matt Leinart or Kurt Warner figure to lead the offense to great heights.  If Rackers can re-master those long distance kicks, he could challenge for the top spot on this list at season’s end.  My Projection: 26/32 FGs, 45 PATs

6) Phil Dawson – Cleveland Browns: Dawson came into his own last year as fantasy kicker.  This had a lot to do, of course, with the resurgence of the Browns’ offense, led by Anderson, Edwards, Winslow and Co.  The offense figures to be just as deadly – if not more so – this season, so Dawson’s fantasy value remains high.  Expect a decent amount of FGs and a lot of PATs.  He’ll miss his fair share of kicks, but not enough to worry fantasy owners.  Should be a consistently above-average performer.  My Projection: 27/33 FGs, 46 PATs

5) Adam Vinatieri – Indianapolis Colts: Vinatieri isn’t quite the best kicker in the league anymore, but he can still help your fantasy team out.  The Colts pour on the points, which means plenty of FG and PAT opportunities.  Although he had a down year last year, there’s no reason why he can’t bounce back, even at 36.  He doesn’t have top-notch range anymore, but should be accurate enough – and he always makes the clutch kicks.  You know what you’re getting out of Vinatieri.  My Projection: 25/30 FGs, 52 PATs

4) Stephen Gostkowski – New England Patriots: Coming in at #5 is Vinatieri’s replacement in New England, Stephen Gostkowski.  His fantasy value is hurt by the fact that he doesn’t have much of a leg, and that coach Bill Belichick prefers to run up the score, eschewing FGs for TDs.  However, Gostkowski’s real value is in PATs.  I know they’re only worth one point, but Gostkowski made 78 of them last year, pushing up an otherwise mediocre kicker to #5 overall among kickers.  Now, I’m not saying the Pats will score 78 TDs again this year, but they should challenge for 60.  If Gostkowski can up his FG production just a little, he’ll be a force from the K position.  My Projection: 23/29 FGs, 58 PATs

3) Rob Bironas – Tennessee Titans: Bironas turned a lot of heads last October, when he nailed an NFL-record EIGHT FGs in one game.  That, combined with steady production all season long, resulted in his being the 2nd highest-scoring K in the fantasy game last year.  Given the combination of his leg strength and the Titans’ red zone struggles, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be right up there again this year.  If Vince Young doesn’t make any progress as an NFL QB, Bironas might BE the Titans offense next year.  My Projection: 32/36 FGs, 31 PATs

2) Shayne Graham – Cincinnati Bengals: Graham has been an elite fantasy kicker for each of the last four years, regularly finishing in the top 10 overall.  He’s got all the traits you look for in a fantasy kicker – strong leg, high accuracy, and plays for a high-scoring team.  If the Bengals offense clicks like it has in the past, Graham could definitely overtake the guy ahead of him on this list.  As it is, he’s easily worth using a middle-late round pick on.  My Projection: 32/36 FGs, 41 PATs

1) Nick Folk – Dallas Cowboys: You’re probably seeing a lot of Cowboys near the top of their respective position lists.  Their kicker, Nick Folk, continues that trend.  In his first year in the league, Folk was the 3rd-best fantasy kicker, and only figures to get better as he adjusts to the league.  He’s strong, accurate and plays for a team that could very well score the most points in the league next year.  The Cowboys’ training staff better have ice packs on hand, because he’s going to be kicking A LOT.  My Projection: 28/33 FGs, 55 PATs

Kickers may not be the toughest of positions, but they can still help – or hurt – your fantasy team.  This list will help you be in the know come draft day.  Get your hands on one of my top 10 guys, if you can – otherwise, you’ll be left sifting through the waiver wire.  Good luck on your drafts, and don’t forget to check RotoHog’s other positional rankings.