2007 NFL -- Week 7 Recap -- Is Rob Bironas Relevant?

Time to open the mail bag once again. Here's a letter from weekly reader Rob Bironas of the Titans:

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Dear Fantasy B.J.,

All season I've been annoyed as hell that you don't make hardcore predictions for field goal kickers. No punter picks? I can understand that. Punters are wusses. But I've worked very hard to become an NFL kicker, spending hours each day stretching my legs and watching others play football.

By last Sunday, I'd had just about enough of your negligence. So I kicked a record 8 field goals--not to win the game, but to prove you wrong. Kickers can make a differnce. From now on, you should treat us like football players, and not as the former-soccer-players-who-weren't-good-enough-to-go-pro that we are.

Sincerely,

Rob "Hardcore Now and Forever" Bironas

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In my head-to-head league, waivers shut down 5 minutes before game time and don't open up until 5:30pm on Tuesday. We get to pick in reverse order of our record, so that the worst teams get the pick of the litter. And so I was struck dumb a little over an hour ago when 4 waiver pick-ups were wasted on kickers.

Whether you're drafting or playing the free agent market, know your league's scoring system. Which positions are worth more than others? In our league--as in most--kickers are the bottom of the barrel.

Here's how my league stacks up. Through 7 weeks, the top points at each position are:

• Kicker -- 66 points (Kris Brown)


• Defense -- 89 points (Patriots, Chiefs)


• Running Back -- 110 points (Ronnie Brown)


• Tight End -- 118.5 points (Jason Witten)


• Wide Receiver -- 142 points (Randy Moss)


• Quarterback -- 205 points (Tom Brady)

There are 13 QBs better than the best kicker. 18 WRs. 12 Defenses. And so on. Predicting weekly kicker performances is almost as futile as wasting a high waiver pick on one. How many times have I read some fantasy pundit say, "Pick Kicker A because he's playing against an easy defense."? It just doesn't work that way.

Do what I do, especially if you don't have a spare player to drop: Cut your kicker and pick up an extra offensive player. Then scan the news in the days leading up to game-time. Right before the cut-off, drop your least important player and snag a kicker who's connected on a fairly high percentage (80% should be the target). I follow this strategy nearly every week. Today it led to my picking up Lee Evans, who appears to ready to resume his place among the wide receiver elite--or at least put up a respectable 70-90 yards a game.

Whatever you do, understand how your league scoring works. Only then can you capitalize on each pick you make.

As for Week 7, Patrick Crayton had a shockingly anemic performance, while Vernon Davis and the Saints defense were adequate at best. But Drew Brees came through with his 2nd best performance of the year. And as pointed out yesterday, Kenny Watson finished #1 at his position.

Remember, do your homework. Only then can you earn your hardcore degree.

This kid is a master fantasy athlete. Get to know him. Get to know his books.