Who Should I Start? Jason Sanders or Matthew Wright

Friday, December 19, 12:35 PM

Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders (hip) is unlikely to return in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it's possible that he could come off Injured Reserve to kick in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or for the regular-season finale in Week 18 against the division-rival New England Patriots, according to Travis Wingfield of MiamiDolphins.com. The 30-year-old's 21-day practice window was opened on Wednesday, but he's not ready to return yet from a hip injury that has kept him out all season. With only two games left after this week and the Dolphins eliminated from the playoffs, it's unclear why Miami would even consider bringing Sanders back, but it appears that's still a possibility. Riley Patterson will kick for at least one more week against Cincy on Sunday, and he'll be a deep-league streaming option at the position in a plus matchup.

Tuesday, January 6, 4:59 PM

The Buffalo Bills announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent kicker Matthew Wright to their practice squad. Veteran kicker Matt Prater (quadriceps) aggravated his quad injury in the Week 18 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, which means that Wright will most likely be promoted to the active 53-man roster for this weekend's Wild-Card matchup at the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 29-year-old Wright kicked for three teams in 2025 -- the Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, and Houston Texans -- making all five of his field-goal tries and all four of his extra-point attempts in only four games played. Wright has kicked for eight teams in his six NFL seasons, making 88.2% of his 68 field-goal attempts. He's gone 45-for-47 on extra points. Given Prater's uncertain status for the weekend, fantasy managers would be wise to avoid Buffalo's kicking situation entering the playoffs.