Sleeper Watch

At this point of the season, you’re probably pretty much set at kicker with a tried-and-true producer who can start week in and week out. But as we head toward December and the fantasy playoffs, it might be worthwhile to check your kicker’s upcoming schedule.

Dependable Ryan Longwell has home games in Green Bay in week’s 14 and 17. Adam Vinatieri’s Patriots play three of their final four games in New England. High-scoring Jason Elam visits Lambeau Field in week 17, when many fantasy leagues hold their championship game.

You can tell where this is going, can’t you? During the fantasy playoffs, when every point counts, you probably don’t want your kicker playing in a snowstorm. If your starting kicker will be playing to places like Green Bay, Foxboro or Buffalo, where winter means more than just overcrowded malls, it might be wise to stash a backup such as the Falcons’ Jay Feely on your bench. In the final four weeks of the season, Feely will be kicking his field goals in Atlanta (twice), Tampa Bay and indoors in Indianapolis, well away from winter’s icy touch.

Feely won’t equal last year’s career-high 138 points or the expectations fantasy owners had before the season, but if Michael Vick does in fact make a successful comeback in the closing weeks of the year, Feely’s scoring opportunities could increase significantly over the season’s final weeks. The Falcons’ dismal campaign has led many to write him off, but Feely may still become a fantasy asset for owners looking to beat the weather.