Top 10 Punters
In picking a punter that will assist your fantasy roster, you want to look for consistency. Just as kickers can get you points, in some leagues punters can be of great value. The punters on this list are guys who will consistently punt long and inside the 20 yard line (or even better, inside the ten). Not all of these punters are on great teams, but one thing they all have in common is that they are utilized to keep opponent offenses deep in their own territory. Some of these guys are strategically used to avoid easy scores on weak defenses and buy their offense time to plan a next attack, while others might be used to help strong offensive and defensive pairings retain solid field position. If you are looking for a punter who will get a lot of work, look no further than some of the teams with struggling offensive schemes: Oakland, Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.
The listing of the Top 10 punters this season includes guys from both dominant teams (who use their punter as a weapon) and struggling teams (who are forced to utilize their punter to balance poor offensive movement). One thing they all have in common is that they net around 40 yards per punt and have a history of strategically placing punts for low return yardage.
Last season the list looked and played out as follows:
2010 Ranking
1) Shane Lechler
2) Andy Lee
3) Donnie Jones
4) Brandon Fields
5) Ben Graham
6) Jon Ryan
7) Dustin Colquitt
8) Brian Moorman
9) Mat McBriar
10) Mike Scifres
2010 Actuals
1) Mat McBriar
2) Shane Lechler
3) Mike Scifres
4) Andy Lee
5) Brandon Fields
6) Thomas Morstead
7) Daniel Sepulveda
8) Donnie Jones
9) Matt Dodge
10) Nick Harris
These rankings are mainly based upon average punt distance. I have found that many fantasy leagues score punting as such: 0.025pts / punted yard and 1 pt / punt downed inside the 20
This year's rankings will try to adjust for these figures.
PN Andy Lee, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Andy Lee sits atop my list of punters for the 2011 season. Lee punted 91 times last season for an average of 46.2 yards. He punted 34 inside the twenty yard line and 9 inside the ten yard line. Lee will once again be working with an emerging offense that will begin to focus more on the passing game, but will trust and maintain the running game. Look for Lee to be utilized as needed and score fantasy points for both distance and strategic placement.
PN Brandon Fields, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Brandon Fields punted the ball 73 times in 2010. He averaged 46.2 yards per punt and put 31 inside the twenty yard line and 10 inside the ten yard line. Fields was a close second to Lee in my rankings, but I think Lee will have more opportunities in 2011 so he prevailed. Fields will likely get another 70 plus chances this season and will average over 45 yards per punt again. I think he might also surpass his inside the ten yard line numbers.
PN Shane Lechler, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Shane Lechler was my number one ranked punter last season and came up a bit short. This season he lands at number three. Lechler punted 77 times in 2010. He averaged 47.0 yards per punt with 27 inside the twenty and 8 inside the ten. Lechler could top the list in 2011, but I think he will settle in the top five. Oakland will need Lechler as an integral part of their offense and he will be used as often as needed to keep them in games strategically.
PN Donnie Jones, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Donnie Jones punted the ball an amazing 94 times in 2010. Jones averaged 45.5 yards per punt and placed 32 punts inside the twenty yard line and another 8 inside the ten yard line. I foresee Jones getting nearly as many chances again this coming season as St. Louis finds their feet on offense. Jones could move up this list from number four, but he should be a top five fantasy punter featuring points gained from yardage as well as punt placement.
PN Mat McBriar, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Mat McBriar punted 65 times in 2010 for Dallas and his 47.9 yard average punt topped the league. McBriar's lower ranking for 2011 stems from his placement of 22 punts inside the twenty and 9 inside the ten yard line last season. Other punters have better punt placement than McBriar, but he will likely win again on distance. Use McBriar without hesitation if you have fantasy punter scoring, but consider other options depending upon your scoring format.
PN Dustin Colquitt, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Dustin Colquitt punted 88 balls for Kansas City last season. Colquitt averaged 44.4 yards per punt and put 33 punts inside the twenty yard line and another 8 inside the ten yard line. Colquitt should get close to as many chances to punt as he did in 2010 this season and have similar statistics. Use Colquitt comfortably and feel free to rank him higher on your list if he is one of your favorites. Kansas City will need Colquitt's expertise as they focus on gaining strides on offense this season and stumble along the way.
PN Reggie Hodges, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Reggie Hodges is a punter that I think should be on your radar if your league scores punting. Hodges punted 78 times for Cleveland last season, averaging 43.9 yards per punt and landing 29 punts inside the twenty and 15 inside the ten yard line. Hodges may not have the highest yardage value, but his inside the twenty and ten values put him on my list. Consider Hodges a viable option and I might even move him up my list if my league rewarded punters.
PN Adam Podlesh, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Adam Podlesh sent 57 punts downfield for Jacksonville in 2010. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt with 26 inside the twenty yard line and another 8 inside the ten. Podlesh will likely get more opportunities in 2011 and this is why he makes my top ten. Look for Jacksonville to utilize Podlesh to a greater degree this season and his numbers will follow.
PN Nick Harris, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Nick Harris punted 90 times for Detroit last season and averaged 44.6 yards. Harris' yardage values placed him in the top ten in 2010 and his 24 punts inside the twenty and 6 inside the ten were not shabby either. Look for Harris to once again make the top ten in punters this season and maybe even surprise if he is given as many chances as he was in 2010.
PN Tim Masthay, ---
FANTASY PROFILE / STATS & MORE
Tim Masthaypunted 71 balls for Green Bay last season. Masthay averaged 43.9 yards per punt and placed 25 inside the twenty yard line and 7 inside the ten yard line. Look for Masthay to get a similar number of chances this season and to build upon his numbers from 2010. Masthay has the ability to increase his yards per punt average and add to his number of punts inside the twenty and ten yard lines. Masthay rounds out my top ten, but there are many other punters on this top ten bubble. Do your research and get the punter that you think will assist your team if you are in such a fantasy scoring format.