-2018 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2018 Draft Kit
Brandon McManus had a down year in 2017, but hopefully a better Broncos offense this season will help his Fantasy value. The Broncos added Case Keenum at quarterback, which should help the offensive production and lead to more opportunities for McManus. He made just 24 field goals and 27 extra points in 2017, which were his lowest totals since 2014. He still has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy kicker, but McManus will have to prove himself first. He is someone to remember as a bye-week replacement or streaming option during the season because he's unlikely to be drafted in the majority of leagues.
A Browns kicker? On a Fantasy team?! It's not something people plan on doing, but Cleveland's Zane Gonzalez might be in the right place at the right time. The Browns did some serious upgrading to their offense and figure to be more potent than at any point in the past decade. That should result in more field-goal attempts for Gonzalez, who hit 15 of 20 kicks (75 percent) as a rookie last season including 2 of 3 from 50-plus yards. Honestly, it'll take some serious guts to begin the year with Gonzalez as your Fantasy kicker, so don't do it unless you're feeling bold. But once things get going, you might find yourself claiming Gonzalez off waivers.
Sebastian Janikowski is expected to be the kicker for the Seahawks this season after he left Oakland following 18 seasons with the Raiders. Janikowski missed the 2017 campaign with a back injury, but he should be fine this year, even at 40. He was the No. 10 Fantasy kicker in 2016, and he still has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy option, especially with the Seahawks. You don't have to draft Janikowski as a starting option, but he should be considered a strong bye-week replacement or streaming option during the year.
The Vikings traded up in the fifth round to draft Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson, signaling a camp competition between him and incumbent Kai Forbath. Carlson was perfect on extra points, making all 198 tries, but only hit on 80.7 percent of his field goals. He particularly nose-dived in 2017, hitting 23 of 31 tries. Carlson has a strong leg and was generally accurate on shorter field-goal tries but doesn't seem like the kind of slam-dunk placekicker that teams draft before Round 7. If he wins the job from Forbath in the preseason, he'll be worth considering for Week 1 use when the Vikings play the 49ers.