Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Evan McPherson

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.

Monday, November 18, 12:35 AM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson went 3-for-3 on extra points but just 2-for-4 on field goals during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Both of his misses occurred in the fourth quarter and would have given Cincinnati an important lead. Instead, he missed the uprights wide left both times, preserving a tie that would eventually be broken by the Chargers in the final minute. McPherson's made field goals came from 26 and 27 yards out while he missed from 48 and 51 yards. The 25-year-old has ranked outside the top 15 fantasy kickers for most of this season and should continue to be avoided in most leagues when the Bengals return from their Week 12 bye.