KACSPORTS 2005 FANTASY TIGHT END/KICKER RANKINGS

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KACSPORTS 2005 PRE-SEASON FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS - TIGHT ENDS/KICKERS
(UPDATED THROUGH 8/27)

1.
TONY GONZALEZ Antonio Gates challenged his long-time throne last year, but Gonzo won lots of championships with 35 catches for 388 yards in the final four weeks.

2.
JASON WITTEN 87 catches for nearly 1,000 yards last year, Bill Parcells has hired Ben Coates to help him maximize his potential.

3.
ANTONIO GATES No end to holdout in sight. Not dropping him too far yet however.

4.
DALLAS CLARK Sleeper of the year, averaging 17 yards per catch in limited action last year. With Marcus Pollard gone Dallas could go completely nuts catching Manning aerials if he stays healthy - which Clark did not accomplish the first two years.

5.
ALGE CRUMPLER Averaged a sick 16 yards per catch last year. About the only receiver Vick is remotely comfortable with.

6.
JEB PUTZIER Also averaged 16 yards per catch last year, and will be utilized much more in the Denver offense.

7.
JEREMY SHOCKEY Just call him the Jersey Devil, 666 yards and 6 TD's last year.

8.
BEN TROUPE Billed by many as this year's Antonio Gates.

9.
RANDY MCMICHAEL Was the primary (and only) receiving threat the first half of 2004, amassing 535 yards. But wound up blocking more after HC Dave Wannstadt was canned.

10.
L.J. SMITH Andy Reid always loves utilizing the tight end, so in his third year LJS should see as much traffic as a restaurant serving battered fish on Friday nights.

11.
TODD HEAP Durability problems persist.

12.
JERMAINE WIGGINS Jim 'I was abducted by a' Kleinsasser is expected back, but Wiggins has established himself as the Vikings receiving tight end.

13.
BEN WATSON Doesn't this always happen, rookie holds out - then gets hurt not long after finally suiting up. Still this is yet another second-year TE to watch out for, although he will split time with Dan Graham.

14.
ERIC JOHNSON Caught half of his 82 passes in just the first five games last season, although the former Yalee still doesn't have his Skull and Bones membership and isn't likely to see Bohemian Grove, much less the end zone, on this awful 49er team.

15.
CHRIS COOLEY Along with hot-headed race car drivers, Joe Gibbs is also known for churning out H-back/style tight ends. This third round pick quickly established himself last year and is just one of about 85 tight ends in the league to come out of the state of Utah.

16.
HEATH MILLER Big things are expected out of 'Big Money', although he is coming off an injury that lowered his draft status. Also, the Steelers haven't featured throwing to the tight end since, well never.

17.
MARCUS POLLARD Downgrades from Peyton Manning to Joey Harrington, ouch.

18.
BUBBA FRANKS Back in the fold.

19.
DOUG JOLLEY Stock not nearly as high as it was with the Raiders a few years back, but will provide a decent bye week option.

20.
JERRAMY STEVENS This could be his breakout, but we've heard that for a couple years now.

21.
TEYO JOHNSON If you're looking for mad upside, take a look at this one-time hoops star in Year 3.

22.
KRIS WILSON Expected to be in two-TE sets along with Tony Gonzalez.

23.
DANIEL GRAHAM Seven of his 30 catches went for TD's.

24.
ITULA MILI Has been huge in the Seahawks playoff losses the last two years. Unfortunately playoffs don't count in fantasy leagues.

1.
DAVID AKERS Had a quirky season making 17 of 21 attempts of 40 yards or more, which was huge in leagues awarding bonuses for long kicks. Akers had never before been in double-figures in 40+ yarders.

2.
MIKE VANDERJAGT Peyton Manning was so prolific last year that it hurt Vanderjagt's totals, as he wound up kicking a slew of PAT's and not many FG's. The only risk is that Vandy is not a big favorite in the locker room and if he slips up any more he could be kicked to the curb during the season. As it is the Colts drafted Dave 'Fossilman' Rayner in the sixth round this year, and will be groomed as a kickoff specialist this year.

3.
JEFF WILKINS He has had a Bret Saberhagen-type deal working, 85, 89, 94, and 89 points in his last four even numbered seasons - but 107, 124, 127, and 163 points in '97, '99, '01, and '03. The Rams still have a kick-butt offense in a dome, so I bet on him heavily this year.

4.
ADAM VINATIERI Like Robert Horry in the NBA, Vinatieri is best known for coming through when the stakes cannot be possibly any higher. Has been dissed some in the past in the fantasy realm mostly due to the climate he plays in, but Vinny came through with 141 points last year and even a touchdown pass to boot - which goes nicely with an uncontested two-point conversion from a few years back.

5.
JASON ELAM Not unlike PGA Tour players or NASCAR drivers, experience really helps with NFL kickers, the top six on this list are all over 30 years old. Elam's 12-year resume reads as follows - throw out 1996 (109 points) and 2000 (103 after missing three games) and you have at least 116 points per year. In addition, 5,200 feet helps get Jason a few extra long attempts each year with 34 FG's from 50+ yards in his career.

6.
RYAN LONGWELL Another who gets neglected on draft day due to his frosty venue, for instance do you really wan?t your fantasy season come down to what Longwell can do on Christmas and New Year's night at Lambeau Field, which will be the case in Weeks 16/17 this year?? Also I hate Longwell's follow-through, or lack of one. But never mind that, Longwell has banged home 120 or more points in six of his eight seasons. Possible negative is that Green Bay's defense may be so bad that Favre & company will find themselves going for touchdowns and 2-point conversions late in many games this year.

7.
SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI Raiders offense figures to be much improved this year, so 120 points is a possibility. Has hit 47 of 53 FG's (88.5%) the last two years.

8.
SHAYNE GRAHAM Still get the willie's with him as I still remember him shanking a potential game-tying 21-yard attempt at Lambeau a few years back. But Graham was 27-31 for 122 points on a Bengal team that's maturing offensively.

9.
MATT STOVER Has been with the team so long that they were the Cleve Brownies the first five years, which means technically he's been with two franchises - but I don't have time to get into revisionist history now. The Ravens are never great at punching it in and Stover has a pair of 130+ point seasons since 2000.

10.
JEFF REED Who says kicking in Heinz Field is tough?? Reed was 13-14 at home last year while scoring 124 points

11.
JOSH BROWN You worry about someone kicking in windy, rainy Seattle, but Josh has 239 points in his first two years.

12.
PAUL EDINGER Geos 4-4 with a 50 yarder while Elling gets hurt in pre-game warmups. Edinger should be safe to draft.

13.
TODD PETERSON Playing for a contending team who plays ten games indoors makes Peterson a definite option. Being stuck in San Francisco the last two years should make Peterson very affordable in salary-cap style games.

14.
JASON HANSON Looks, and it only seems like, he's been kicking since the Lions moved into their first dome. Although actually Hanson and Eddie Murray are probably the only kickers Detroit has had since booking out of Tiger Stadium. Hasn't scored more than 106 points since 1999 but don't be surprised to see him shatter that mark behind what should be a vastly improved offense.

15.
NATE KAEDING We know he doesn't like kicking in the rain, but has bounced back nicely the last two weeks.

16.
MIKE NUGENT Sure, he made some clutch kicks with the Buckeyes, but B.J. Sander was another highly regarded kicking specialist out of Ohio State who got stage freight and forgot how to punt a football the second he stepped inside Lambeau Field. So what happens to Nugent when Jet fans start getting on Nugent's case??? That said, you have to like any kicker (even a rookie) on a team that usually is in the hunt for a playoff berth.

17.
JOHN CARNEY With the Andersen and Anderson boys finally being sent out to pasture, Carney now becomes the oldest kicker in the league at age 41. Don't ever hang 'em up John. Still has plenty of leg, hitting a pair of 50-yarders last year. Has not missed an XP yet this millennium - well, except for that deal in Jacksonville.

18.
LAWRENCE TYNES Struggling on and off the field lately, KC beginning to consider bringing in competition.

19.
JOHN KASAY Carney may had missed a PAT after one of the most amazing plays in league history, but at least he didn't cost his team a Super Bowl with a biffed kickoff like Kasay did. However Kasay scored 125 points that year so if the Panthers improve offensively he should be a decent option.

20.
NEIL RACKERS Nailed three 50+ yard FG's in just one game last year. Arizona figures to be very competitive in the awful NFC West this year, so a Cardinal kicker is an option for the first time in recent memory.

21.
RIAN LINDELL Never the most accurate kicker in the world, Rian still surprised with 117 points last year. The Bills offense stands to produce again so Lindell should still go well statistically despite kicking in one of the league's harshest climates.

22.
JOSH SCOBEE Ranking is contingent on beating out Seth Marler in camp. Jaguars shouldn't be too bad an offense to work with.

23.
KRIS BROWN Perennially shaky kicker doesn't get many opportunities - despite playing in a retractable dome Brown has only scored 71, 81, and 85 points the last three years.

24.
OLINDO MARE Seems to get more inaccurate every year. Also does lousy early in the year kicking at home, when infield dirt as well as the occasional hurricane blowing through town are factors.

25.
JAY FEELY Scored 138 points indoors in the A-T-L a few years back, but was under 100 the next two years and now works for a shaky offensive team in the Meadowlands, not a good combination.

26.
PHIL DAWSON It might not be quite as bad as the 106 points Phil could only muster back in 1999-2000, but points figure to be hard to come by in Cleveland yet again. Matt Stover is sure glad he's still with the 'original' Browns team.

27.
JOHN HALL Never the most accurate kicker, Hall is now battling Brett Conway disorder (bad groin/hammy) and now will battle Jeff Chandler for the right to kick in DC.

28.
OLA KIMRIN Are you sure that Gary Anderson is finally off Jeff Fisher's speed dial??

29.
MATT BRYANT You really want to be an NFL kicker?? Tampa Bay will mark the fifth organization in which Matt has worked in various capacities in just the last 12 months.

30.
DOUG BRIEN After blowing a game in Minnesota with two missed PAT?s as well as the two missed FG's that cost the Jets a spot in the AFC Championship Game, it is truly amazing that another team requested his services. But it isn?t like kickers in Chicago get too many chances anyways.

31.
JOE NEDNEY The first challenge is to make it through pre-game warm-ups in Week 1 without suffering a catastrophic leg injury. Even if he accomplishes that, Nedney then has to deal with kicking for the league's worst offense in blustery Candlestick Park.

32.
JOSE CORTEZ Hold the phone, Parcells just brought in Seth Marler as competition.

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1.	TONY GONZALEZ	Antonio Gates challenged his long-time throne last year, but Gonzo won lots of championships with 35 catches for 388 yards in the final four weeks.
2.	JASON WITTEN	87 catches for nearly 1,000 yards last year, Bill Parcells has hired Ben Coates to help him maximize his potential.
3.	ANTONIO GATES	No end to holdout in sight. Not dropping him too far yet however.
4.	DALLAS CLARK	Sleeper of the year, averaging 17 yards per catch in limited action last year. With Marcus Pollard gone Dallas could go completely nuts catching Manning aerials if he stays healthy - which Clark did not accomplish the first two years.
5.	ALGE CRUMPLER	Averaged a sick 16 yards per catch last year. About the only receiver Vick is remotely comfortable with.
6.	JEB PUTZIER	Also averaged 16 yards per catch last year, and will be utilized much more in the Denver offense.
7.	JEREMY SHOCKEY	Just call him the Jersey Devil, 666 yards and 6 TD's last year.
8.	BEN TROUPE	Billed by many as this year's Antonio Gates.
9.	RANDY MCMICHAEL	Was the primary (and only) receiving threat the first half of 2004, amassing 535 yards. But wound up blocking more after HC Dave Wannstadt was canned.
10.	L.J. SMITH	Andy Reid always loves utilizing the tight end, so in his third year LJS should see as much traffic as a restaurant serving battered fish on Friday nights.
11.	TODD HEAP	Durability problems persist.
12.	JERMAINE WIGGINS	Jim 'I was abducted by a' Kleinsasser is expected back, but Wiggins has established himself as the Vikings receiving tight end.
13.	BEN WATSON	Doesn't this always happen, rookie holds out - then gets hurt not long after finally suiting up. Still this is yet another second-year TE to watch out for, although he will split time with Dan Graham.
14.	ERIC JOHNSON	Caught half of his 82 passes in just the first five games last season, although the former Yalee still doesn't have his Skull and Bones membership and isn't likely to see Bohemian Grove, much less the end zone, on this awful 49er team.
15.	CHRIS COOLEY	Along with hot-headed race car drivers, Joe Gibbs is also known for churning out H-back/style tight ends. This third round pick quickly established himself last year and is just one of about 85 tight ends in the league to come out of the state of Utah.
16.	HEATH MILLER	Big things are expected out of 'Big Money', although he is coming off an injury that lowered his draft status. Also, the Steelers haven't featured throwing to the tight end since, well never.
17.	MARCUS POLLARD	Downgrades from Peyton Manning to Joey Harrington, ouch.
18.	BUBBA FRANKS	Back in the fold.
19.	DOUG JOLLEY	Stock not nearly as high as it was with the Raiders a few years back, but will provide a decent bye week option.
20.	JERRAMY STEVENS	This could be his breakout, but we've heard that for a couple years now.
21.	TEYO JOHNSON	If you're looking for mad upside, take a look at this one-time hoops star in Year 3.
22.	KRIS WILSON	Expected to be in two-TE sets along with Tony Gonzalez.
23.	DANIEL GRAHAM	Seven of his 30 catches went for TD's.
24.	ITULA MILI	Has been huge in the Seahawks playoff losses the last two years. Unfortunately playoffs don't count in fantasy leagues.

1.	DAVID AKERS	Had a quirky season making 17 of 21 attempts of 40 yards or more, which was huge in leagues awarding bonuses for long kicks. Akers had never before been in double-figures in 40+ yarders.
2.	MIKE VANDERJAGT	Peyton Manning was so prolific last year that it hurt Vanderjagt's totals, as he wound up kicking a slew of PAT's and not many FG's. The only risk is that Vandy is not a big favorite in the locker room and if he slips up any more he could be kicked to the curb during the season. As it is the Colts drafted Dave 'Fossilman' Rayner in the sixth round this year, and will be groomed as a kickoff specialist this year.
3.	JEFF WILKINS	He has had a Bret Saberhagen-type deal working, 85, 89, 94, and 89 points in his last four even numbered seasons - but 107, 124, 127, and 163 points in '97, '99, '01, and '03. The Rams still have a kick-butt offense in a dome, so I bet on him heavily this year.
4.	ADAM VINATIERI	Like Robert Horry in the NBA, Vinatieri is best known for coming through when the stakes cannot be possibly any higher. Has been dissed some in the past in the fantasy realm mostly due to the climate he plays in, but Vinny came through with 141 points last year and even a touchdown pass to boot - which goes nicely with an uncontested two-point conversion from a few years back.
5.	JASON ELAM	Not unlike PGA Tour players or NASCAR drivers, experience really helps with NFL kickers, the top six on this list are all over 30 years old. Elam's 12-year resume reads as follows - throw out 1996 (109 points) and 2000 (103 after missing three games) and you have at least 116 points per year. In addition, 5,200 feet helps get Jason a few extra long attempts each year with 34 FG's from 50+ yards in his career.
6.	RYAN LONGWELL	Another who gets neglected on draft day due to his frosty venue, for instance do you really wan?t your fantasy season come down to what Longwell can do on Christmas and New Year's night at Lambeau Field, which will be the case in Weeks 16/17 this year?? Also I hate Longwell's follow-through, or lack of one. But never mind that, Longwell has banged home 120 or more points in six of his eight seasons. Possible negative is that Green Bay's defense may be so bad that Favre & company will find themselves going for touchdowns and 2-point conversions late in many games this year.
7.	SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI	Raiders offense figures to be much improved this year, so 120 points is a possibility. Has hit 47 of 53 FG's (88.5%) the last two years.
8.	SHAYNE GRAHAM	Still get the willie's with him as I still remember him shanking a potential game-tying 21-yard attempt at Lambeau a few years back. But Graham was 27-31 for 122 points on a Bengal team that's maturing offensively.
9.	MATT STOVER	Has been with the team so long that they were the Cleve Brownies the first five years, which means technically he's been with two franchises - but I don't have time to get into revisionist history now. The Ravens are never great at punching it in and Stover has a pair of 130+ point seasons since 2000.
10.	JEFF REED	Who says kicking in Heinz Field is tough?? Reed was 13-14 at home last year while scoring 124 points
11.	JOSH BROWN	You worry about someone kicking in windy, rainy Seattle, but Josh has 239 points in his first two years.
12.	PAUL EDINGER	Geos 4-4 with a 50 yarder while Elling gets hurt in pre-game warmups. Edinger should be safe to draft.
13.	TODD PETERSON	Playing for a contending team who plays ten games indoors makes Peterson a definite option. Being stuck in San Francisco the last two years should make Peterson very affordable in salary-cap style games.
14.	JASON HANSON	Looks, and it only seems like, he's been kicking since the Lions moved into their first dome. Although actually Hanson and Eddie Murray are probably the only kickers Detroit has had since booking out of Tiger Stadium. Hasn't scored more than 106 points since 1999 but don't be surprised to see him shatter that mark behind what should be a vastly improved offense.
15.	NATE KAEDING	We know he doesn't like kicking in the rain, but has bounced back nicely the last two weeks.
16.	MIKE NUGENT	Sure, he made some clutch kicks with the Buckeyes, but B.J. Sander was another highly regarded kicking specialist out of Ohio State who got stage freight and forgot how to punt a football the second he stepped inside Lambeau Field. So what happens to Nugent when Jet fans start getting on Nugent's case??? That said, you have to like any kicker (even a rookie) on a team that usually is in the hunt for a playoff berth.
17.	JOHN CARNEY	With the Andersen and Anderson boys finally being sent out to pasture, Carney now becomes the oldest kicker in the league at age 41. Don't ever hang 'em up John. Still has plenty of leg, hitting a pair of 50-yarders last year. Has not missed an XP yet this millennium - well, except for that deal in Jacksonville.
18.	LAWRENCE TYNES	Struggling on and off the field lately, KC beginning to consider bringing in competition.
19.	JOHN KASAY	Carney may had missed a PAT after one of the most amazing plays in league history, but at least he didn't cost his team a Super Bowl with a biffed kickoff like Kasay did. However Kasay scored 125 points that year so if the Panthers improve offensively he should be a decent option.
20.	NEIL RACKERS	Nailed three 50+ yard FG's in just one game last year. Arizona figures to be very competitive in the awful NFC West this year, so a Cardinal kicker is an option for the first time in recent memory.
21.	RIAN LINDELL	Never the most accurate kicker in the world, Rian still surprised with 117 points last year. The Bills offense stands to produce again so Lindell should still go well statistically despite kicking in one of the league's harshest climates.
22.	JOSH SCOBEE	Ranking is contingent on beating out Seth Marler in camp. Jaguars shouldn't be too bad an offense to work with.
23.	KRIS BROWN	Perennially shaky kicker doesn't get many opportunities - despite playing in a retractable dome Brown has only scored 71, 81, and 85 points the last three years.
24.	OLINDO MARE	Seems to get more inaccurate every year. Also does lousy early in the year kicking at home, when infield dirt as well as the occasional hurricane blowing through town are factors.
25.	JAY FEELY	Scored 138 points indoors in the A-T-L a few years back, but was under 100 the next two years and now works for a shaky offensive team in the Meadowlands, not a good combination.
26.	PHIL DAWSON	It might not be quite as bad as the 106 points Phil could only muster back in 1999-2000, but points figure to be hard to come by in Cleveland yet again. Matt Stover is sure glad he's still with the 'original' Browns team.
27.	JOHN HALL	Never the most accurate kicker, Hall is now battling Brett Conway disorder (bad groin/hammy) and now will battle Jeff Chandler for the right to kick in DC.
28.	OLA KIMRIN	Are you sure that Gary Anderson is finally off Jeff Fisher's speed dial??
29.	MATT BRYANT	You really want to be an NFL kicker?? Tampa Bay will mark the fifth organization in which Matt has worked in various capacities in just the last 12 months.
30.	DOUG BRIEN	After blowing a game in Minnesota with two missed PAT?s as well as the two missed FG's that cost the Jets a spot in the AFC Championship Game, it is truly amazing that another team requested his services. But it isn?t like kickers in Chicago get too many chances anyways.
31.	JOE NEDNEY	The first challenge is to make it through pre-game warm-ups in Week 1 without suffering a catastrophic leg injury. Even if he accomplishes that, Nedney then has to deal with kicking for the league's worst offense in blustery Candlestick Park.
32.	JOSE CORTEZ	Hold the phone, Parcells just brought in Seth Marler as competition.