Injuries to kickers (1 Viewer)

[Harry Beanbag]

I guess the question is, how often to kickers get injured? We know that Vanderjagt and Vinatieri had some injuries early in the season but what about down the stretch? I typically hold on to a kicker on my roster once I am past bye week conflicts in order to open up a roster spot for a WR or a back up RB. With the fantasy playoffs starting next week, rosters will be locked prior to kick off of the Thursday night game.

With waivers frozen and no players available to be picked up, do you carry two kickers in case one goes down? Or do you roll the dice knowing that kickers rarely get injured but you are screwed if your one guy goes down with an injury?

 

[Frank Black]

Good thread. I always pick up an extra kicker before the final FA deadline. You never know. Last year, for example, there seemed to be a number of kickers injured at some point in the season. The funny thing is that sometimes, you have to drop a QB, RB, or WR with possible potential in order to pick up the extra K. If you carry an extra Def, I suggest dropping that extra Def to pick up the extra kicker, unless you need 2 defenses to play matchups.

 

[mcnabbmcnow]

I am struggling BIG Time with this question as we speak. My TE, LJ Smith and my K, John Kasay, both historically get injured a lot. I don't want to carry 2 of both, but I will probably pick up Jerramy Stevens or Bo Scaife as a 2nd TE. Carrying two kickers really puts me in a hole at RB. If Cedric Benson takes over the job of Thomas Jones, I am left with only 2 RB's for the playoffs. Part of me wants to risk one of the positions, and since K on average score more and are more reliable than second string TE's, maybe two kickers is the way to go.

Adding to this dilemma is I have two players on my roster, Portis and Benson, who hold no value now but in a keeper league could net me draft picks next year in a pre draft trade...so I don't really want to give them up.

 

[Mystery Achiever]

You have to pick up a kicker. Just the fact that it COULD happen is enough. And, while rare, the Vandy being cut thing should scare you into it! Good luck in the playoffs.

 

[Sidewinder]

Really depends on your roster, who you'd pick up to replace the 2nd kicker, and what your matchups look like. It's certainly a risk carrying only one K. I've actually gone with one kicker most years come playoff time (and luckily never been bitten in the butt). If I'm really happy with my basic roster and the matchups going forward, I'll carry a 2nd K. But usually I'll use that 2nd kicker spot for an extra QB or D/ST and not look back. Obviously comes down to what level of risk you are willing to live with.