Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Dustin Hopkins

Saturday, November 29, 12:51 PM

Buffalo Bills kicker Matt Prater has been a reliable player through 11 games this season, connecting on 15 of 17 field goal attempts and 32 out of 34 extra-point tries. The 41-year-old may have limited range at this point in his career, as he's attempted just two field goals from 50-plus yards out on the season, making one and missing one. In Week 13, the Bills will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. Through 12 weeks, Pittsburgh ranks 19th in the NFL in points per game allowed (23.9). While that points to the Bills being able to move the ball on Sunday, the weather in Pittsburgh may play a factor in the kicking game. The current forecast calls for precipitation and colder weather in western Pennsylvania. Prater profiles as a borderline starting kicker option in Week 13, but fantasy managers should be mindful of potential weather issues and check the forecast before lineups lock on Sunday.

Tuesday, August 26, 3:18 PM

The Cleveland Brown released kicker Dustin Hopkin on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It appears that Andre Szmyt will open the 2025 regular season as the team's placekicker, although the Browns could still bring in more competition before Week 1. Hopkins will be let go after spending the last two seasons kicking for Cleveland, where he went 51-for-63 on his field-goal attempts (81%) and 41-for-46 on his extra-point tries in 31 total games. The final straw for the 34-year-old veteran might have been when he missed one of his two extra-point tries in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. Hopkins entered training camp on shaky ground at the position after going 18-for-27 on his field goals in 16 games a year ago.