NFL Player News

Prater converted all three of his field-goal attempts and his lone PAT during Sunday's 30-16 loss to the Rams.

The Lions' inability to convert in the red zone gave Prater a number of opportunities to rack up points, and the veteran responded with his fourth performance with at least three successful field goals. Now 23-for-26 on FGAs in 2018, Prater will proceed into Week 14 as a quality fantasy option in most formats.

Gano said Sunday that he's dealing with knee pain in his plant leg, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Gano is usually one of the more reliable kickers in the league, so a knee injury would serve to explain his recent struggles. The 31-year-old expressed optimism that he would be able to play through the lingering issue, but it remains to be seen whether Gano will eventually be required to undergo surgery to address his injury.

Bryant is active for Sunday's game against the Ravens.

Contained to just one limited listing on the injury report this week, Bryant nonetheless will continue on as the Falcons placekicker with Giorgio Tavecchio on the inactive list. In his eight appearances this season, Bryant has missed just one kick (an extra point) en route to 7.6 points per game.

Coach Dan Quinn said Bryant (back) will play Sunday against the Ravens, Jason Butt of The Athletic reports.

Bryant didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but with Giorgio Tavecchio still on the roster as a backup kicker, Quinn probably wouldn't have been as definitive in his statement if there was any real concern about Bryant's availability. While the matchup with Baltimore isn't an ideal one, Bryant has an excellent track record kicking at home.

Bryant (back) didn't practice Thursday, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Bryant hasn't helped his cause with back-to-back absences to open Week 13 prep. As evidence, he didn't participate Thursday on his normal kicking day, as noted by D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. During his three absences this season, Bryant was ruled out on the final injury report of the week, so Friday's version will be telling for his upcoming availability. If he's unable to suit up, he'll yield kicking duties to Giorgio Tavecchio on Sunday against the Ravens.

Bryant was held out of Wednesday's practice with a back injury, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Bryant dealt with a back injury last season without missing any time, but sat out three games earlier in 2018 while recovering from a hamstring issue. While still reliable whenever he's on the field, the 43-year-old kicker seems to be feeling the impact of his age. He gets a sub-optimal Week 13 matchup against Baltimore, but the track record suggests Bryant is a strong fantasy option any time the Falcons play in a dome. The team will probably re-sign Giorgio Tavecchio later this week if there's any real concern about Bryant's availability.

Lutz (back) does not have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Cowboys.

Lutz was upgraded to full practice Wednesday after having been limited to begin the week, and appears to have fully recovered from his back injury. The 24-year-old has not missed a kick since Week 5 of the regular season, and remains one of the top fantasy options at the kicker position heading into Thursday Night Football.

McManus made his only field-goal attempt and all three of his extra-point tries in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Steelers.

McManus converted from 41 yards on his lone field goal. That brought his season tally to 72 points, which ranks 17th among kickers league-wide.

Fairbairn made both of his field-goal attempts and all four extra-point kicks for 10 points in Monday's 34-17 win over Tennessee.

Fairbairn has 21 points over the last two weeks, a surge that has moved him to third among kickers in scoring with 99 points (9.0 PPG). He also leads the NFL in field-goal attempts with 29.

Elliott was perfect on three field-goal attempts and added one extra point in Sunday's 25-22 win over the Giants.

After starting the year 0-for-3 on kicks 40 yards or longer, Elliott has now converted each of his last four, including a 43-yarder to win the game for Philadelphia. After struggling to find consistency in the first half of the season, the Memphis product hasn't missed over his last four games. He will try to keep the rhythm going at home Week 13 against Washington.