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2015 Kick Returner Rankings

It’s not common practice, but a fair share of fantasy football leagues do award points for return TDs and return yardage. Those are harder to come by following the NFL’s 2011 rule change that moved kickoffs from the 30 to the 35-yard-line. But that doesn’t mean special teams value has completely dried up.

Here’s a breakdown of all 32 units.

Note: Rankings of yards per kick and punt return are based off “qualified” players, or those with at least 20 attempts.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Only 5 teams scored on a kick return last season. The Chiefs were 1 of them, and they added a punt-return TD. De’Anthony Thomas accounted for 1 score and finished 3^rd league-wide with 11.9 yards per punt return. Knile Davis recorded the other TD and ranked 3^rd among kick returners with 28.6 YPR. Both guys also finished top-10 in Pro Football Focus’ return rankings.

2. San Diego Chargers

During June OTAs, HC Mike McCoy said that 1^st-year Charger Jacoby Jones will “add an extra dimension” in the return game. We won’t argue there. Jones is an experienced special-teamer who finished with the 2^nd most yards per kick return last season (30.6). He carries obvious upside as a guy who’s recorded 9 career special teams scores, including at least 1 in 4 straight years.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Philly scored an NFL-high 4 times on returns last season. We know that’s probably not happening in 2015, but this unit is still led by 1 of the league’s top open-field threats. Darren Sproles recorded 2 TDs and paced the NFL with 13 yards per punt return. While Sproles turns 32 on June 20, he showed no signs of decline last year. The fact that he saw only 97 offensive touches -- his fewest since 2008 -- should only keep his body fresh going forward. The Eagles have given RB Ryan Mathews reps as a kick returner in OTAs, providing them with another dynamic option.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Adam Jones handled primary return duties for the Bengals last season. Boosted by a 97-yarder, he led all kick returners with 31.3 YPR. And he did so despite entering last season with no more than 7 attempts from 2008-2013. Jones finished 4^th in yards per punt return and proved earlier in his career that he’s a scoring threat. The former 1^st-rounder last found paydirt in 2012 but notched 4 punt return TDs over his first 2 pro seasons.

5. Atlanta Falcons

Last year, Devin Hester recorded his 20^th career return TD. That pushed him ahead of Deion Sanders for most special teams scores of all-time. Hester has posted at least 1 special teams TD in 4 of the past 5 seasons and remains 1 of the league’s most dangerous threats.

6. Minnesota Vikings

Cordarrelle Patterson wasn’t just disappointing as a receiver last year. After busting off 32.4 yards per kick return as a rookie, he dropped to 25.6 last season. That still placed him a respectable 6^th in the NFL. But he failed to find the end zone after posting 2 return scores in 2013. At 6’2, 220 pounds with tremendous long speed, Patterson’s certainly capable of a bounce back.

7. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay doesn’t have a clear favorite for return duties, but we like the depth here. Chiseled rookie Ty Montgomery averaged 27.4 yards per kick return and 19.8 yards per punt return at Stanford. He certainly brings a RB-like mentality to the unit. "I think a good return man has speed, quickness, a will to break tackles and find the end zone," Montgomery said. "There's no second down on special teams, so you can't be complacent. As a return man, you have to be willing to fight." Veteran Micah Hyde provides a strong alternative on punt returns. He averaged 15.8 yards and scored twice on only 14 attempts last year. Randall Cobb saw 14 tries in 2014, but the Packers likely want to keep most of his focus on offense.

8. St. Louis Rams

Tavon Austin has so far flamed out as a WR, but he’s found a niche on returns. His 2014 mark of 11.2 yards per punt return ranked 5^th league wide. He also took 1 punt to the house for the 2nd straight season. The shiftiness and long speed are clear here, making him a candidate to pop off in any week. Plus, Benny Cunningham showed plenty of juice on kick returns last year, finishing 5^th in yards per return (27.5).

9. Arizona Cardinals

The Cards let Ted Ginn walk but drafted J.J. Nelson to save the return game. Nelson returned 4 kicks for TDs as a senior and led the nation in yards per return on both kicks and punts. His 38.3 yards per kick return last season was the 3rd-best mark in NCAA history. Nelson and his sub-4.3 speed bring huge upside to the Arizona return game.

10. Seattle Seahawks

Rookie Tyler Lockett was one of the nation’s top return men during his time at Kansas State. He notched 6 total scores -- 4 on kick returns and 2 on punt returns. He posted strong efficiency numbers, too, with 28.8 yards per kick return and 15.3 yards per punt return. Lockett certainly filled a big need, as 2014 kick returner Paul Richardson (torn ACL) will likely begin 2015 on the PUP list.

11. Indianapolis Colts

Look for plenty of Phillip Dorsett here. This dynamic rookie has the ability to take it the distance on any touch, evidenced by his 4.33 forty-time at the Combine. He wasn’t impressive as a returner in college, averaging 19.1 yards per kick return and 5.4 yards per punt return. But with some NFL seasoning, he could develop into one of the game’s top special teams weapons.

12. New England Patriots

Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman handled most of the load for New England in 2014. Amendola was sub-par on kick returns, finishing with 24.1 yards per attempt. He busted off an 81 yarder, though. Edelman really stood out, taking 12 punts for 299 yards (12.0 YPR). Only Darren Sproles recorded a better average. Edelman also found the end zone via a punt return for the 4^th time in 5 years.

13. Miami Dolphins

Jarvis Landry wasn’t just a rookie-year surprise at WR. He also finished 4^th among kick returners with 28.1 yards per attempt. Landry proved solid on punt returns, too, tallying 8.2 yards per tote. Landry’s strong numbers surfaced despite little college experience. He could see his role scaled back after handling 59 kicks and punts last year -- a top-10 mark league wide. But there’s been no indication that he’ll be removed from special teams completely.

14. San Francisco 49ers

Second-year man Bruce Ellington -- cousin of Arizona’s Andre Ellington -- was another rookie WR that excelled as a returner last season. He tied for 6^th with 25.6 yards per kick return and averaged a solid 8.2 yards per punt return. While Ellington wasn’t a decorated return man at South Carolina, he has the straight-line speed to bust off big chunks of yardage.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers

You probably remember this wild Antonio Brown return from last year. It was 1 of several impressive punt returns from the star WR, as he placed inside the top 10 with 10.6 yards per attempt. Only 5 others finished last season with more attempts, although it’s possible that Pittsburgh scales back the usage of arguably their best offensive weapon. Markus Wheaton has been a bust on kick returns through 2 seasons, taking just 1 of 22 attempts beyond 40 yards. (It went for 41 yards.) Dri Archer managed just 17.9 YPR on his 9 opportunities. A lot of the value here will likely depend on Brown.

16. New York Giants

The Giants overpaid for former Cowboys return man Dwayne Harris in free agency, handing him a 5-year deal worth nearly $18 million. Still, he should boost a unit that’s looked average of late. Last year, Harris ranked 13^th in yards per kick return and 9^th in punt-return average. There’s upside for more, as he carries elite career averages of 26.6 yards per kick return and 11.1 yards per punt return.

17. New Orleans Saints

The Saints have some flexibility with Jalen Saunders, Brandin Cooks and now C.J. Spiller on the roster. Saunders returned just 2 kicks last year, but 1 went for 99 yards. Cooks averaged a mere 3.5 yards per punt return last year, but he saw only 10 attempts. Loaded with raw speed and agility, he’s certainly capable of stronger numbers. Spiller’s an explosive option with 60 career kick returns, including 2 for TDs. (He returned 1 for 102 yards last year.) New Orleans added another option in the 7^th round of May’s draft with Missouri’s Marcus Murphy. The 5’8, 193-pounder scored an impressive 7 times on returns in college.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rookie Kaelin Clay is a name to monitor. The high school track star played just 1 season at Utah but busted off 1 kick-return TD and 3 punt-return scores. His main competition figures to come from Bobby Rainey, who looked average on just 13 combined returns last year.

19. Carolina Panthers

Ted Ginn Jr. was a disaster on kick returns last year, managing just 19.0 yards per attempt. He still boosted the Cardinals with a 71-yard punt-return TD. He’s an explosive open-field player with 7 career special teams TDs, though he’s notched only 1 over the past 3 seasons.

20. Buffalo Bills

Leodis McKelvin figures to handle the bulk of the load. He handled just 4 kickoffs last year but finished 12^th with 8.7 yards per punt return (21 attempts). Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and Marquise Goodwin could also contribute, with Goodwin representing the most dangerous threat. We’ll see if he holds down a roster spot, though, as he’s looked like a bust at WR through 2 seasons.

21. Detroit Lions

Last year, Jeremy Ross finished top-12 in both yards per kick and yards per punt return (25.4 and 8.9 yards, respectively). But he didn’t find the end zone on any of his 55 attempts. He profiles as the lead dog this year, perhaps with Golden Tate and Theo Riddick assuming spot duties.

22. Denver Broncos

Nobody’s locked into the kick-return role, but Omar Bolden looks like Denver’s best bet. Bolden racked up 429 yards on just 13 attempts last year (33.0 YPR), accounting for the team’s 2 longest runbacks (76 and 77 yards). Punt returns proved shaky last year, as Denver was 1 of only 4 teams that didn’t have a runback longer than 22 yards. 2014 punt returner Isaiah Burse managed just 7.3 yards per return and fumbled 3 times. The Broncos could expand Emmanuel Sanders’ role, but it’s unlikely given his importance on offense.

23. Tennessee Titans

Dexter McCluster finished 23^rd out of 24 qualifying punt returners in yards per attempt last season. It marked a huge step back from McCluster, who recorded a healthy 11.8 YPR and 2 scores in 2013. He should retain the punt-return gig, while there’s a chance that he sees kick-return opportunities, too. Of course, he’ll face competition this summer. Jacoby Ford and Antonio Andrews are 2 clear candidates, with Ford profiling as the more dynamic option. He was out of football last year and has battled foot injuries for most of his career. But if healthy, he’s capable of reigniting this unit. The 5’9 Ford owns 4 career kick-return scores.

24. New York Jets

Back in May, special teams coach Bobby April confirmed that rookie speedster Devin Smith won’t compete for return duties. Instead, Jeremy Kerley and Walter Powell will battle for the punt-return gig, while Chris Owusu, Saalim Hakim and T.J. Graham are the kick-return candidates. Kerley’s the only established option as a 4-year contributor. But he’s taken only 1 of his 86 career attempts to the end zone -- and that surfaced in 2012.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags failed to retain 2014 return man Jordan Todman. So they’ll turn to 2 unproven talents in 2015. Ace Sanders has averaged just 6.4 yards per punt return over his first 2 pro seasons (57 attempts). Denard Robinson’s increased offensive role took him off return duties last year. He’s plenty elusive but saw only 4 chances as a 2013 rookie and never handled returns in college.

26. Chicago Bears

Marc Mariani should see the bulk of the work for Chicago. He sat out 2012 and 2013 because of leg and shoulder injuries. But he looked solid last year, finishing 9^th in yards per kick return (25.5) with help from a 67-yard runback. Mariani has 3 career special-teams scores on 192 attempts, so there’s a bit of upside here.

27. Houston Texans

Keshawn Martin is coming off a down season with just 6.2 yards per punt return (25 attempts). The past 2 years indicate that he’s capable of more, although he’s notched only 1 TD on 154 combined returns. Damaris Johnson will provide competition, but he too struggled in limited action last year with 6.0 yards per punt return and 22.7 yards per kick return.

28. Oakland Raiders

Latavius Murray handled 19 kick returns last year, but he’s likely to disappear on special teams as Oakland’s new lead back. He shared return duties with T.J. Carrie, a guy who’ll be pushed by newcomer Trindon Holliday. Pint sized at 5’5, 166, Holliday’s dangerous in the open field. While most of his 2014 was wiped out due to injury, Holliday enters September with 4 career return TDs.

29. Washington Redskins

Andre Roberts underwhelmed in his first year away from Arizona. He finished 19^th in punt-return average among 24 qualifiers. He also ranked 19^th among only 21 qualifying kick returners. He doesn’t have a history of strong numbers, so it’s tough to bank on a bounce back. DeSean Jackson brings obvious upside in spot duty, although he handled just 1 punt last year.

30. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas lost return specialist Dwayne Harris in free agency. They’ll likely settle on a new kick returner in training camp, with rookie speedsters Antwan Goodley and Lucky Whitehead as potential candidates. Slot receiver Cole Beasley should see more opportunities on punt returns after handling just 10 last season.

31. Cleveland Browns

Special teams coach Chris Tabor has preached competition at the return spots this offseason. Cleveland didn’t flash much upside last year, finishing 25^th in punt-return average and 25^th in kick-return average. They don’t have a proven threat this year, but there are plenty of intriguing names in the mix including rookies Duke Johnson and Charles Gaines along with 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert. Johnson’s known for his rushing ability, but he also set Miami’s single-season record with 892 kick-return yards, scoring 2 TDs along the way.

32. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore let go of Jacoby Jones, 1 of the NFL’s premier return men. Michael Campanaro and Ladarius Webb are candidates to take over, but neither guy inspires a ton of confidence. Campanaro returned just 2 punts last year, while Webb’s handled only 2 returns since 2011. Webb does have the most experience on the team having recorded 90 combined returns for his career.

Kevin English, Senior Analyst

Kevin brings 15 years of experience as a fantasy analyst and mid-stakes competitor across various formats (redraft, best ball, dynasty, DFS). His work has been featured on The Mercury News, Rotoworld, and FantasyPros.