Sleeper Watch

Times are tough for fantasy owners who put their faith in Arizona Cardinals such as Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Kurt Warner (to say nothing of JJ Arrington and Marcel Shipp). For the second week in a row, Arizona managed to put just 12 points on the scoreboard, and fantasy owners hoping for a touchdown or two were disappointed once again. No, times aren’t easy if you own a Cardinal – unless he happens to be the man who scored all those points: kicker Neil Rackers.

Heading into the season, Rackers wasn’t high on anybody’s cheat sheets. Yet after three weeks, he leads all kickers in points scored with 31 despite having just one extra point opportunity all season (back in the second quarter of week 1). So far, he has connected on all ten of his field goal attempts, including two from 50 yards and beyond, a nice bonus in leagues that award additional points for long kicks. Nevertheless, he remains available in a large number of leagues.

It would be a stretch to assume that Rackers will be among the league’s scoring leaders when the curtain closes on the 2005 season, but as long as Arizona has trouble reaching the end zone and confidence in their kicker’s leg, he should continue to see plenty of field goal opportunities. Owners who select their kickers to sidestep potential fantasy playoff-time blizzards will also appreciate his late-season schedule. In weeks 14-16, he plays two games at home and once in Houston. In week 17, he plays indoors in Indianapolis.