Sleeper Watch

For the past two years, the Vikings finished sixth in the NFL in points scored. Yet in spite of Minnesota’s high-octane offense, fantasy owners have been about as enthusiastic about drafting a Vikings kicker this year as Peyton Manning is about traveling to New England in January. The reason for that is simple: until Saturday, the team’s kicker position was still up for grabs, with Aaron Elling and Paul Edinger battling for the coveted job. Now, that contest has been decided.

Minnesota’s kicker this year will be Paul Edinger, thanks in part to a hip injury suffered by Elling during the preseason. Edinger was a disappointment last season, scoring just 67 points for Chicago after averaging 104 between 2001 and 2003. That low output in 2004 isn’t surprising, however, considering the Bears’ struggles to put points on the board; Chicago finished the season having scored just 231 points, the lowest total in the league.

Now that he has won the starting job in Minnesota, Edinger’s stock soars. The Vikings scored 174 points more than Chicago last season, and even though the team lost star receiver Randy Moss to Oakland, the offense should keep right on rolling, and Minnesota’s new kicker should have plenty of opportunities to join in the scoring. If you settled for a lower-tier kicker at the end of your draft, consider grabbing Edinger as a waiver wire upgrade.

(Incidentally, if you backed the wrong horse and are now stuck with Aaron Elling on your roster, he might still be worth holding on to: the Tennessee Titans are rumored to be interested in Elling’s services.)