Let's yap about kickers. Every year it's the same. People worry their cheap kickers will get cut from their teams, so they spend an extra buck or two. Let's discuss those fringe kickers whose jobs were not all that secure before the contest closed:
Tucker McCann ($3) - Really? This dude was dead meat well before the 8 Sep deadline, and anyone rostering him simply didn't spend any time researching their choices before the deadline. I have no empathy for anyone rostering McCann. He was the rarest kicker (0.5%), so it seems the masses knew.
Cody Parkey ($3) - Was placed on IR by the Browns 2 weeks before contest deadline in favor of Chase McLaughlin. This dud has been on 7 teams in 7 years, and did manage to miss 2 EP's in week 5 for the Saints, who promptly sent him to the witness protection program. Shame on you if you rostered him.
Aldrick Rosas ($3) - Another kicker everyone should have avoided. He was nothing more than a hopeful fill-in for Wil Lutz, and he couldn't even do that for 5 weeks. His 3 missed FG's in weeks 3 & 4 sealed his fate, and now he enjoys the games on his couch like I do. His 1.3% ownership suggests the crowd was aware of the fate of Rosas.
Kaimi Fairbairn ($3) - Let me give you a few reasons why Kaimi was rostered by only 1.6%. First, he was injured to start the season. Second, he was kicking for the Texans, and third, he was kicking for the Texans. You should never roster an injured kicker no matter the price.
Wil Lutz ($5) - I wouldn't roster the greatest kicker of all time if he was scheduled to miss the first half of the season like Lutz was. He has since decided 2021 will be a year off, so your $5 investment goes down the toilet. That's a hard pill to swallow for 1.4% that rostered him, but why would you roster an expensive kicker who is sure to miss a handful of games?
Tristan Vizcaino ($3) - As a Chargers homer, I would love to tell the tale of Tristan winning us multiple games with his leg, but it just wasn't the case. Luckily, WFT got frustrated and dropped Dustin Hopkins in our lap. I hope we keep him for many years. If you have followed the Chargers, you would know they have had horrible luck at the kicker position. Last year, Badgley led the league in missed FG's with 9. Of the 16 kickers for $3, he was the 4th most common, but that was because of the team he played for, not because of his talent.
Mike Badgley ($3) - Did I mention he lost his job after missing 9 FG's for the Chargers last year? The Titans didn't have the patience that the Chargers did, and quickly sent him packing after he missed one of his two EP's and his only FG in week 1. He is the reason Randy Bullock is a steal this year. He was on the streets until Blankenship went down, but has been perfect since joining the Colts.
Josh Lambo ($3) - Of all the $3 kickers to lose his job, this one comes as the biggest surprise. As a 7 year veteran, he trailed only Tucker & Butker in lifetime FG percentage, but missed his only 3 attempts to start the year, along with 2 EP's. The Jags cut ties after week 3, and no one has come knocking since. I would not have considered him a fringe kicker, because his departure came as a shock to me.
Tucker McCann ($3) - Really? This dude was dead meat well before the 8 Sep deadline, and anyone rostering him simply didn't spend any time researching their choices before the deadline. I have no empathy for anyone rostering McCann. He was the rarest kicker (0.5%), so it seems the masses knew.
Cody Parkey ($3) - Was placed on IR by the Browns 2 weeks before contest deadline in favor of Chase McLaughlin. This dud has been on 7 teams in 7 years, and did manage to miss 2 EP's in week 5 for the Saints, who promptly sent him to the witness protection program. Shame on you if you rostered him.
Aldrick Rosas ($3) - Another kicker everyone should have avoided. He was nothing more than a hopeful fill-in for Wil Lutz, and he couldn't even do that for 5 weeks. His 3 missed FG's in weeks 3 & 4 sealed his fate, and now he enjoys the games on his couch like I do. His 1.3% ownership suggests the crowd was aware of the fate of Rosas.
Kaimi Fairbairn ($3) - Let me give you a few reasons why Kaimi was rostered by only 1.6%. First, he was injured to start the season. Second, he was kicking for the Texans, and third, he was kicking for the Texans. You should never roster an injured kicker no matter the price.
Wil Lutz ($5) - I wouldn't roster the greatest kicker of all time if he was scheduled to miss the first half of the season like Lutz was. He has since decided 2021 will be a year off, so your $5 investment goes down the toilet. That's a hard pill to swallow for 1.4% that rostered him, but why would you roster an expensive kicker who is sure to miss a handful of games?
Tristan Vizcaino ($3) - As a Chargers homer, I would love to tell the tale of Tristan winning us multiple games with his leg, but it just wasn't the case. Luckily, WFT got frustrated and dropped Dustin Hopkins in our lap. I hope we keep him for many years. If you have followed the Chargers, you would know they have had horrible luck at the kicker position. Last year, Badgley led the league in missed FG's with 9. Of the 16 kickers for $3, he was the 4th most common, but that was because of the team he played for, not because of his talent.
Mike Badgley ($3) - Did I mention he lost his job after missing 9 FG's for the Chargers last year? The Titans didn't have the patience that the Chargers did, and quickly sent him packing after he missed one of his two EP's and his only FG in week 1. He is the reason Randy Bullock is a steal this year. He was on the streets until Blankenship went down, but has been perfect since joining the Colts.
Josh Lambo ($3) - Of all the $3 kickers to lose his job, this one comes as the biggest surprise. As a 7 year veteran, he trailed only Tucker & Butker in lifetime FG percentage, but missed his only 3 attempts to start the year, along with 2 EP's. The Jags cut ties after week 3, and no one has come knocking since. I would not have considered him a fringe kicker, because his departure came as a shock to me.
