Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Dustin Hopkins

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.

Wednesday, November 20, 8:57 PM

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins struggled in a Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints, missing two of his four field-goal attempts. He will look to bounce back at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12's Thursday night game. The Steelers have been a difficult matchup for kickers in fantasy this season, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. With six misses on 20 field-goal attempts this season, Hopkins is not a recommended fantasy option for Week 12's slate of games.