Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Cairo Santos

Tuesday, October 15, 7:55 PM

The Arizona Cardinals placed kicker Matt Prater (knee) and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (neck) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, meaning both players will have to miss at least the next four games. Nichols will miss the rest of the season. To replace Prater on the active 53-man roster, the Cardinals elevated Chad Ryland from the practice squad. In the last two games with Prater out, Ryland has gone 5-for-6 on field goals and made both of his extra points. Prater made all six of his field goals and went 10-for-10 on extra points in his four games, surpassing the career 1,800-point plateau. The earliest Prater will be eligible to return from IR will be after the team's Week 11 bye for a Week 12 contest against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Ryland will be a poor streaming option for fantasy managers in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.

Saturday, November 16, 5:36 AM

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos is a solid, if somewhat unexciting, fantasy option for Week 11 as he prepares to face the Green Bay Packers. Santos had a reasonably typical performance in his most recent outing, converting his only field goal attempt from 33 yards out. While Santos didn't have a game-changing performance, he remains reliable in accuracy and consistency. This week, there is a significant shake-up in Chicago's offense, as the team fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron just nine games into his tenure. The hope is that the change in leadership will spark a more productive offense, which could result in more scoring opportunities for Santos. Santos should see more chances for field goals and extra points if the Bears' offense improves. While he's still a somewhat average fantasy kicker, the potential for increased usage could make him a slightly more appealing option in Week 11, especially if the coaching change leads to an uptick in overall offensive efficiency.