NFL Notebook, Week 6: Cam Newton’s future, fun 49ers, awards and more
By Zach Cohen
Fantasy Fixture
As the season rolls on, it’s only appropriate that every week I discuss a little about America’s new favorite past-time: Fantasy Football.
Fantasy football is a weekly game, so maximizing your point values each week is of utmost importance. This could be an irrelevant slide, yet it’s one that could secretly save your fantasy matchups.
To those who (rightfully) still employ kickers in your lineups, this slide is the Holy Grail for you. If you’re like me, you smartly rotate between waiver-wire kickers each week. (Wouldn’t you rather have spent your last draft choice on a kicker, yet still get double-digit points every week?)
These three keys to picking the right weekly kicker will help you score an easy 10-12 points each week, whereas those of you who stubbornly spent a high draft choice on a kicker are stuck getting two or three points every few weeks. I’m not talking about obvious factors such as accuracy and total points all season, these are sneaky secrets to help you picking a week-winning kicker.
High-Scoring Matchups – Arguably the most important component to adding a good kicker, it’s also the most simple. Teams that score more kick more, whether it’s because of a good offense or a bad defense. Looking at point spreads is usually a good indicator.
Domes – Domes are a kicker’s golden goose egg. With perfectly controlled climates and sleek, adequate grass/turf, it’s no wonder that kickers have statistically perfumed better under domes, per Pro Football Focus.
Weather – Yes, you’ll have to check the weather. The last thing you want is a kicker playing in rain or windy conditions. It might not be at the forefront of your thought process, but a simple bad turn of the weather will negatively impact your kicker, let alone your entire fantasy team.