The Viking Age
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2018 Minnesota Vikings fantasy football forecast: Daniel Carlson / Kai Forbath

By Adam Carlson

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 11: Minnesota Vikings #2 Kai Forbath kicks a field goal during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 11, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 11: Minnesota Vikings #2 Kai Forbath kicks a field goal during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 11, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. /
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Choosing to select a Minnesota Vikings kicker at your fantasy football draft may come down to whether it ends up being Daniel Carlson or Kai Forbath.

Let’s be honest. Kickers can sometimes be an afterthought when it comes to fantasy football drafts. They are usually selected in the final few rounds along with team defenses/special teams units. However, even choosing a kicker is complicated if you want one from the Minnesota Vikings.

A training camp and maybe even a preseason battle will be needed to determine who will have the kicking duties this year: veteran Kai Forbath or rookie Daniel Carlson. Considering the Vikings offense could be quite good this year, the winner of that battle may be very appealing on draft day.

While it is likely that Carlson will win the kicking gig since Minnesota traded up into the fifth round to select him, there is a chance Forbath will beat out the youngster and hold on to his job with the Vikings.

To determine if either kicker would be worth selecting at your fantasy football draft, let’s dive into the past and see how Forbath has performed with the team over the last two years.

Here is Forbath’s fantasy production from the last two years according to FantasyData.com:

  • 2016: 15/15 on FG, 11/14 XP (7 games played) – 58 points
  • 2017: 32/38 on FG, 34/39 XP (16 games played) – 142 points

Related Story: Fantasy football forecast: Kirk Cousins

Last season, Forbath ended up with the 8th highest fantasy output, making him a very appealing option for fantasy owners. However, the big leg of Carlson and accuracy on extra points could make him an even hotter commodity at your draft.

The projected points for each kicker vary wildly, with some sites predicting Carlson to be the kicker, some choosing Forbath, and others splitting the points right down the middle or dividing them up in an odd fashion.

But let’s take a look at those projected point totals along with the two kickers rank among others at the position. (NOTE: Daniel Carlson is on the left and Kai Forbath is on the right)

  • FantasyData: 104 points (19th-T) / 44 points (24th)
  • Fantasy Pros: 111.7 points (18th) / 94.1 points (33rd)
  • ESPN: 127.2 points (13th) / –no ranking–
  • FF Today:  –no ranking– / 120 points (11th)
  • NFL.com:  –no ranking– / 128.12 points (3rd)

When looking at these numbers, the variance in rank among the positions is insane. Having the Vikings kicker ranging anywhere from 3rd to 19th in the league is a big difference, but the point totals still seem to range in the area of between 110 and 130 points, which would be solid at the position.

On the ESPN Top 300 non-PPR rankings, Daniel Carlson is 255th as the 15th best available kicker. Meanwhile, Kai Forbath does not make an appearance.

The Viking Age predicts that the Minnesota Vikings kicker will net you 118 points in standard scoring, approximately 5-6 more if it happens to be the stronger-legged Carlson who wins the job. And the beauty of picking a Vikings kicker is that they will most likely be available near the end of your draft, meaning you can take a flier on players at other positions earlier on.

Next: Predicting the Vikings 2018 record

Who do you think will win the kicking battle for the Minnesota Vikings? And would you be willing to trust your fantasy team to either Kai Forbath or Daniel Carlson during the 2018 NFL season? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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