Redskins Fantasy Focus: Graham Gano

Fantasy football may be the one place where kickers get the most respect. You certainly don't want to be the guy that drafts Stephen Gostkowski in the third round and ridiculed (I'm looking at you Ken Meringolo), but you also don't want to be the dude that is left alternating between Shayne Graham and Ryan Succop all season. There's been a lot of talk surrounding Redskins players and who could "break out" on the fantasy scene in 2012, but what about Graham Gano?

Last year Gano ranked fifteenth in most fantasy leagues, putting up 128 fantasy points. Perhaps his most valuable attribute was his ability to nail kick from beyond fifty yards in 2011. Gano hit four from deep which ranked seventh among all kickers.

Despite his respectable 2011, Gano isn't even on the radar as a fantasy kicker in 2012. ESPN just recently released their 2012 fantasy kicker rankings and Gano won't be found until the thirty-sixth spot. That seems a bit much. Perhaps the ranking is in reflection of Gano still having to beat out veteran kicker Neil Rackers. Ironically enough Rackers was the sixth ranked fantasy kicker in 2011.

No matter how we observe this or who you think will be starting on Week 1 for the Skins, should we expect more fantasy points from the kicker position this year?