Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

5. Lawrence Tynes (New York Giants) — Like David Akers, Tynes was just one week away from having a perfect season. Through the New York Giants first 15 games he’d made at least one field goal in every game but that ended in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings. Tynes failed to even attempt a field goal in that game but his lack of production during the season finale can’t take away from his overall body of work. Outside of starting the season with 10+ fantasy points in four of the Giants first six games Tynes was never spectacular, but he also never disappointed. For the most part the New York offense put Tynes in position to kick short field goals and he didn’t let his fantasy owners down. On the season he made 27 three pointers and 21 of those came from inside the 40 yard line. Owners who used Tynes on a regular basis were rewarded with 11 games of seven or more fantasy points. His 128 fantasy points ranked eighth in standard scoring leagues which was six spots higher than his Preseason Ranking of 14th.

Make no mistake, Tynes had an excellent season but if the New York offense played to their potential in the second half of the season it would have been better. Look for Tynes to enter 2010 as a top-7 kicker but keep in mind that in New York you are always one bad game away from being cut. With head coach Tom Coughlin not leading the Giants to the playoffs he is likely coaching for his job and won’t be able to let his veteran kicker miss four field goals inside of 40 yards again. When drafting Tynes next August make sure you always have your eye on what kickers are available in free agency.

6. Jeff Reed (Pittsburgh Steelers) — With the Pittsburgh Steelers losing their identity as a defensive minded football team in 2009 the offense was forced to step up and Reed benefited from it. If you compare his numbers from 2008 you will notice that Reed’s workload didn’t see an huge increase (five additional extra points) but what earns him a spot on “The Good” list is his stellar play down the stretch. As we have discussed before, fantasy football leagues are won during Week’s 14-16 (in some cases Week 17) and that was when the eight-year veteran was at his best. Entering Week 15, Reed had just one game of 10 or more fantasy points but he used nine field goals and nine extra points to help Pittsburgh finish the regular season on a three games winning streak. This led to 37 fantasy points (12.33 average) over the final three games and helped propel Reed into the top-10 at the kicker position. His 122 fantasy points ranked 10th and his 15 made field goals from 30-39 yards led all kickers.

Heinz field has often been known as the toughest place in the NFL to kick but Reed has had no problem with the soft soil. He drilled 18-of-19 kicks at home in 2009 and has made his kicks at a 92-percent clip over the past three seasons. The Steelers offense has scored between 20-24 points in every season since Ben Roethlisberger took over at quarterback and with the offense more experienced entering 2010 you can only expect big things from Reed. He probably will come at the cost of a last round pick on fantasy football draft day but has the ability to outperform a handful of kickers drafted ahead of him.

7. Rob Bironas (Tennessee Titans) — Even though it didn’t get off to an ideal start Bironas was once again one of the best kickers in the NFL. With the Tennessee Titans losing their first six games and often playing from behind it led to a lack of opportunity from Bironas. He attempted just nine field goals and six extra points from Week 1 to Week 6 and was actually dropped by many fantasy football owners. After a Week 7 bye Tennessee decided to insert Vince Young in at quarterbacks and it helped resurrect Bironas’ season.  Over the Titans last 10 games Bironas was able to score double-digit fantasy points in seven of them and he kicked at least one field goal in each of those contests. His 133 fantasy points at the kicker position ranked fifth overall and no kicker was better than Bironas during the seasons second half. For those fantasy footballers who drafted Bironas and stuck with him through his rough times, it shows that patience is key. And for those who snagged him off their leagues waiver wire after the Titans Week 7 bye, we hope he helped you win a fantasy title.

With Young under center the Titans averaged 27 points per game and since he will be the opening day starter in 2010 this can only mean big things for Bironas. If the offense can stay consistent, we think they are one wide receiver away from doing so, it should lead to steady production from Bironas and make him a top-5 fantasy football kicker for the fourth straight season.

Missing The Cut: Sebastian Janikowski (Oakland Raiders), Dan Carpenter (Miami Dolphins), Mason Crosby (Green Bay Packers), Stephen Gostkowski (New England Patriots)

2009 The Good:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  |  DEF

2009 The Bad:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  |  DEF

2009 The Ugly:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K |  DEF

————————

Don’t forget to head over to our Fantasy Football Message Board and sign-up for a FREE FORUM account. By doing so you will be able to talk fantasy football all season long.