It’s playoff time which means we have to cut down on the number of players in our rankings because at this point we aren’t looking for fringe returners. We have to lose Josh Cribbs who had been doing great after coming to the Jets but suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday that could end his season. We’re also cutting Trindon Holliday who himself suffered a shoulder injury but he’s also not been the same guy we saw lead the league last season. LeGarrette Blount has seen an increase in offense production but is no longer returning kicks so we’re going to get rid of him as well.
Let’s take a look at the best and most consistent kick and punt returners for fantasy football return leagues.
| Consistency Rank |
Player |
# |
# |
Notes |
| 1 | Cordarrelle Patterson |
8 of 12 |
4 of 12 |
The Bears didn’t let Patterson touch the ball once on kickoffs and punts but Cordarrelle salvaged his day with two rushes for 27 yards and a touchdown and a four yard reception. It’s only the second time in his last six games that he hasn’t eclipsed 100 all-purpose yards so he’s a must-start every week. |
| 1a | Ted Ginn Jr. |
8 of 12 |
4 of 12 |
Although he only caught two passes on four targets, Ginn put up 47 yards and a touchdown to add to his five returns for 59 yards. It’s the second time in the last three games that he has scored a touchdown. While he has clearly been consistent in hitting the 80 yard mark, his upside is significantly lower than some of the other players on the board. |
| 2 | Julian Edelman |
8 of 12 |
2 of 12 |
After it looked like Edelman had disappeared from the offensive picture, the punt returner has caught 18 passes on 23 targets for 211 yards and two touchdowns over his last two games. He’s only returned four punts for 50 yards in those two games but he’s suddenly seeing even more action than he did when everyone was hurt in the beginning of the season. |
| 3 | Keshawn Martin |
8 of 12 |
1 of 12 |
Martin had a big 50 yard kickoff return against the Pats, helping himself to a 77 return yard day. He also caught a 27 yard pass, surpassing 100 yards for the second time in three games. He seems to be coming back around but his upside isn’t very high. |
| 4 | Darren Sproles |
7 of 11 |
2 of 11 |
Sproles didn’t get to return a single kick against Seattle and only put up 43 offensive yards. He’s banged up and not being used the way we’ve seen and he has to face the tough Panthers in two of his next three games so he’s no longer the must-start he was earlier this season. |
| 5 | Golden Tate |
7 of 12 |
3 of 12 |
Despite Percy Harvin being out, Tate was lackluster for the second straight week on Monday, catching four passes for 45 yards and returning five punts for just 17 yards. He doesn’t look like a very good start this week against the Niners. |
| 6 | Devin Hester |
7 of 12 |
1 of 12 |
Hester’s 57 yard kickoff return helped him put up 86 return yards on the day. It’s the fifth time in the last six games that Hester has had at least 80 return yards. He doesn’t have a very high upside but he’s reliable. |
| 7 | Jacoby Jones |
4 of 8 |
2 of 8 |
Jones followed up his big day against the Jets with a four reception, 53 yard day against the Steelers. He returned two kicks for 104 yards, including a big 73 yard return and brought back two punts for another 19 yards. He has a great looking matchup against the Vikings this week after Minnesota allowed a monster game to Alshon Jeffery. |
| 8 | Dexter McCluster |
6 of 12 |
2 of 12 |
McCluster caught five passes but only came away with 43 yards and didn’t get to bring back a single punt. He has put up at least 80 total yards in four of his last six games but doesn’t have a whole lot of upside. |
| 9 | Brandon Tate |
5 of 10 |
0 of 10 |
After putting up just 12 return yards last week, Tate bounced back somewhat with 69 return yards on Sunday against the Chargers. He is a return-only player so I would avoid starting him in the playoffs. |
| 10 | Dwayne Harris |
5 of 11 |
3 of 11 |
Harris is banged up and missed the Cowboys game against the Raiders. He’s droppable in most return leagues. |
| 11 | Tavon Austin |
5 of 12 |
3 of 12 |
Austin is quickly becoming a return league juggernaut, putting up a rush for 10 yards, four receptions for 25 yards, four kickoff returns for 67 yards, and a 10 yard punt return. He contributes everywhere and has very high upside and touchdown potential so I would absolutely start him every week from here on out. |
| 11a | Jacquizz Rodgers |
5 of 12 |
2 of 12 |
Rodgers had 77 all-purpose yards on Sunday against the Bills and has now failed to reach 80 yards in three straight games. He’s droppable in all leagues. |
