Graham Gano signed a big contract extension (for a kicker) this offseason, so the Panthers have clearly committed to him after he had a career year in Carolina with nearly 89% accuracy on his field goals. With kickers, job security is half the battle, and Gano should have no problems maintaining his position as the main guy in Carolina.
Fantasy Upside
Gano not only booted nearly 89% last season, he also connected with over half of his field goals (13 of 24) from distances beyond 40 yards. This included going six for six on field goals from over 50 yards! Gano has always had a big leg, but this past season was the first time he’s been able to show the ability to consistently convert those big time kicks through the uprights.
Fantasy Downside
The downside with Gano is that the Panthers are a low scoring team (18th in the league last year in points per game) that lost key members on the offensive line as well as their top four receivers in the offseason. Last year, Gano only had 27 field goal attempts, and while he converted 24 of them, his number of attempts ranked only tied for 24th in the league. If the Panthers offense struggles, then it’s unlikely Gano gets more opportunities than he did last year.
Bottom Line
Gano is a strong-legged kicker coming into his own as a mainstay in Carolina, and his big contract gives him stability. However, the inconsistent Panthers offense, and the questions surrounding what was undoubtedly a painful offseason on that side of the ball make Gano a fringe fantasy option ultimately. We have him ranked 19th on our board, well outside of starter zone for fantasy owners. Keep an eye on the Panthers offense for improvements, but at this point, it’s hard to advise drafting a kicker on such a low scoring team.
