Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Harrison Butker

Friday, January 3, 12:10 PM

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said that veteran kicker Matt Prater (knee) "will not go" in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers. Prater suffered a meniscus injury in his knee earlier this year and missed the last three months as a result. The 40-year-old kicker only ended up playing in four games in 2024 before injuring his knee in his fourth year with Arizona and 18th year in the NFL. In the four games he was active, Prater made all six of his field-goal attempts (one from 50-plus yards) and was successful on all 10 of his extra-point tries as well. Prater will be a free agent heading into his age-41 season in 2025. Chad Ryland will close out the year this weekend as Arizona's kicker. He's bounced back from a tough rookie season with the Pats to go 26-for-30 on field goals and 21-for-22 on extra points in his 12 games with the Cardinals.

Saturday, January 25, 4:30 AM

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will be relied upon in the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Butker was perfect on five kicks against the Texans last week, knocking through three field goals and two extra-point attempts. The veteran kicker had been a bit shaky in his return from knee surgery but was able to quell concerns with his performance in their Divisional Round win. Butker could be counted on late in this contest if the game plays out according to plan for Kansas City. Given the explosive nature of the Bills offense, the Chiefs will try to drag out possessions and rely on touchdowns or field goals at the end of them. Kansas City could also extend a drive in the fourth quarter and end it with a game-winning field goal, as we have seen several times before. Whether the game is a shootout or a closely contested matchup, Butker should be involved. The Chiefs kicker is a solid play in both DFS and playoff leagues this week.