Ah, the kicker. Perhaps the most maligned of fantasy positions, some owners prefer not to address the kicker until the last round of their draft – or not at all. Nevertheless, it is a position that cannot be ignored. Consider the fact that last year’s top fantasy scorer – Green Bay’s Mason Crosby – was a top-100 fantasy entity, regardless of position. So there’s clearly points to be had from the position. But how to gauge a kicker’s fantasy potential? It’s hardly an exact science, but it goes something like this – look for kickers that play on high scoring teams. Extra points if they have a strong leg – love those 50 yard FGs – but the better the offense, the more scoring opportunities. So, without further ado, here’s my list of kicker rankings, starting with 21-30.

30) Jay Feely – Miami Dolphins: Coming in at #30 is Jay Feely, kicker for the woeful Dolphins. With a 1-15 record last season, it goes without saying that scoring opportunities were few and far between. I fully expect that trend to continue this year, as new honcho Bill Parcells will be using this year as phase one of his rebuilding project. Nevertheless, Feely does have a decent leg, and has proven to be somewhat reliable as far as accuracy goes. But he won’t score your team many points. My Projection: 23/27 FGs, 26 PATs

29) Matt Bryant – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bryant was an okay option at K last year, finishing in the middle of the pack in standard formats. I don’t expect that to be the case this year, as the Buccaneers don’t figure to enjoy the type of success (winning the division) that they did last year. Both sides of the ball are filled with players that are either unproven or aging. Expect the rest of the division to catch up to them, as key players will be healthy. Bryant is reasonably accurate, but has limited leg strength. My Projection: 24/29 FGs, 28 PATs

28) Rian Lindell – Buffalo Bills: Another AFC East kicker, Lindell is about as accurate as Feely, but has a bit stronger leg, which could equate to more points for your team. It’s almost a moot point though, as he plays for the similarly offensively-challenged Bills. Although Marshawn Lynch proved himself a solid NFL starter as a rookie, the Bills have yet to find an answer at QB. That alone could hamstring any chance Lindell has of producing for your team. My Projection: 24/30 FGs, 28 PATs

27) Mike Nugent – New York Jets: Four players into the list, three AFC East kickers. Gee, I wonder who’s going to win that division? Moving on, the Jets’ offense is just as woeful as the Fins’ or the Bills’, and the only reason he’s ranked higher than Feely or Lindell is better accuracy and more leg strength. Don’t expect too many PATs out of him though (or any of the other two AFC East kickers either, for that matter). Could be a decent bye week play against the right team. My Projection: 25/30 FGs, 27 PATs

26) Olindo Mare – Seattle Seahawks: After losing fantasy stalwart Josh Brown to free agency, the ‘Hawks scrambled and came up with the aging Mare. Once one of the league’s rangiest and most accurate kickers with Miami, Mare has lost a step or three and stumbled through a terrible season with New Orleans last year. He figures to improve slightly this year if he can remain healthy, as Seattle should score its fair share of TDs. Don’t look for any range out of him whatsoever though. My Projection: 22/29 FGs, 38 PATs

25) Sebastian Janikowski – Oakland Raiders: Janikowski has a certain name-brand quality to him, due to his outspoken personality and freakish leg strength, but that doesn’t mean he’s of much use to fantasy owners. Simply put, he’s one of the least accurate kickers in the league, and doesn’t exactly play for an explosive offense. Sure, he led the league in 50 yard FGs last season with six, but he also missed nine kicks for a terrible 72% accuracy mark. Consider him for bye weeks only. My Projection: 25/33 FGs, 30 PATs

24) Jason Elam – Atlanta Falcons: Longtime Denver Bronco Elam took the money and ran this past offseason, all the way to Atlanta. While this will no doubt be great for his bank account, it’s not so great for his fantasy production. He goes from an offense that annually ranks in the top half of the league to one that should finish near the bottom this year. That, and he leaves the cozy, thin-aired confines of Mile High for the Georgia Dome. I expect the adjustment will be slightly difficult. He should put up average numbers for a kicker – just don’t expect many 50 yarders. My Projection: 27/32 FGs, 27 PATs

23) Martin Gramatica – New Orleans Saints: The Saints’ offense figures to pile on the points again this year, but, unfortunately for fantasy owners, Gramatica is as shaky a kicker as you can find. Since his heyday with the Buccaneers years ago, Gramatica has bounced around the league, with little success. His once-excellent range has all but disappeared, and he’s never been very accurate. Expect a lot of PATs, but not much else – if he even manages to last the whole year. My Projection: 22/30 FGs, 44 PATs

22) Matt Stover – Baltimore Ravens: Stover is one of the most accurate kickers around, but with uncertainty surrounding the Ravens’ offense, who knows how many scoring opportunities he’ll get. Couple that with his limited range – he’s just not good from beyond 50 anymore – and you’ve got an average fantasy kicker at best. My Projection: 26/30 FGs, 30 PATs

21) David Akers – Philadelphia Eagles: Akers, once in the upper echelon of NFL kickers, hasn’t been relevant to fantasy owners since 2004. Injury troubles and an inconsistent offense have been largely to blame – and there’s no reason to believe that neither will be issues again this year. Some owners might snatch him up based on name recognition, but smart owners will pass him up for someone higher up on this list. Both his accuracy and his range are fading. Still, he could be very useful during by weeks. My Projection: 24/31 FGs, 37 PATs

There it is, 21-30. There’s some big names on this list that might tempt some owners, but there’s better fantasy talent out there, trust me. If you don’t believe me, read up on my 11-20 list – or even better, my 1-10. They’re just a few clicks away.