Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Wil Lutz

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.

Friday, October 18, 12:55 AM

The Denver Broncos had their way with the hosting New Orleans Saints in Week 7 on Thursday night in a 33-10 win, which benefitted kicker Wil Lutz and any fantasy managers that streamed him in a plus matchup. Lutz made all four of his field-goal attempts (long of 52 yards) and all three of his extra-point attempts in what amounted to his best game of the 2024 season. It was a nice bounce-back performance after he made just one field goal and one extra point in the Week 6 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old kicker has been money for the Broncos in seven games this year, missing just one of his 18 field-goal attempts while going 12-for-12 on extra points. In an offense that is improving slowly under rookie quarterback Bo Nix, Lutz will once again be on the streaming radar in a plus Week 8 tilt against the Carolina Panthers.