Chiefs Releasing Matthew Wright, Harrison Butker Expected To Return
The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing kicker Matthew Wright on Saturday, according to a source. It means that Harrison Butker (knee) is expected to be activated from Injured Reserve to make his return in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns. Even though Wright was the NFL Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 14 -- the 28-year-old made eight of his nine field goals in his two games with KC -- he will now be back on the open market with four games to go in the regular season. Butker was listed as questionable for this Sunday's game against the Browns, but it's looking like he'll be active as KC's placekicker. Fantasy managers that haven't been happy with their kicking position should take a look at adding Butker if he's available on the waiver wire, even though he'll be a bit more risky in his first game back since Week 10.
Matthew Wright To Kick Against Chargers In Week 14
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright will face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night in Week 14. In last week's win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Wright nailed four of his five field goal attempts and his only point-after attempt. The 28-year-old was added to the active roster after the Chiefs lost Spencer Shrader to an injury. Shrader was placed on injured reserve, joining fellow kicker Harrison Butker on that list. Butker is eligible to return in Week 15, giving Wright at least one more week as the team's active placekicker. Wright is ranked as the 18th-best kicker in our RotoBaller rankings this week, meaning he should not be started in most leagues. Fantasy managers can likely find better options than Wright this week.
Spencer Shrader Placed On IR, Matthew Wright Signed To Active Roster
The Kansas City Chiefs placed kicker Spencer Shrader (hamstring) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday and signed kicker Matthew Wright to the 53-man active roster in a corresponding move. Shrader will be required to miss at least the next four games, meaning he won't be eligible to return until the Week 18 regular-season finale in Denver against the division-rival Broncos. Shrader was initially signed when the team put regular kicker Harrison Butker (knee) on IR, but he only made it two games with the Chiefs before getting injured himself. Butker will be eligible to come off IR in Week 15 to face the Cleveland Browns, so Wright could only stick around in KC for another week. Last week in the win over the Raiders, Wright made four of his five field-goal attempts and his only extra point. He'll be on the streaming radar on Sunday night against the Chargers in fantasy.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright will face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13. The Chiefs kickers have caught the injury bug lately, with Harrison Butker and Spencer Shrader both sidelined. Wright will now step into the starting placekicker role for Kansas City. Wright was previously with the Chiefs in 2022 and will now get the chance to make an impact with the team again. Kansas City officially elevated Wright to their active roster ahead of their Black Friday matchup against the Raiders. Wright is ranked as the ninth-best kicker in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him a start-worthy player. Fantasy managers looking for a fill-in at kicker can look in Wright's direction.
Spencer Shrader Ruled Out For Week 13, Matthew Wright To Kick
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Spencer Shrader (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He did not practice at all this week. Shrader has gone 3-for-3 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points through two games with Kansas City. The Chiefs have activated Matthew Wright from the practice squad to handle kicking duties in Shrader's absence. Given Kansas City's scoring tendencies and favorable matchup against the Raiders, Wright instantly becomes an intriguing top-12 option in fantasy football.
Chiefs Sign Matthew Wright To Practice Squad, Could Start On Friday
The Kansas City Chiefs signed kicker Matthew Wright to the practice squad on Tuesday, according to Chiefs beat writer Matt Derrick. Harrison Butker (knee) is on the Injured Reserve list, and fill-in kicker Spencer Shrader (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury. Wright kicked in two games for the Chiefs in 2022. Overall, he has attempted kicks for five NFL squads, connecting on 43 of his 50 field goal attempts and 38 of his 40 extra point tries in 21 games. Shrader has averaged 7.6 fantasy points per game in the absence of Butker, so if Wright draws a start for K.C., he's unlikely to be a high-end kicker option in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday.
Jake Moody Out, Matthew Wright Going On Injured Reserve
Both San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (back, shoulder) have officially been ruled out for Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Wright is being placed on Injured Reserve, which will sideline him for at least the next four games. By then, the 49ers hopefully will have Moody back in the fold. With both Moody and Wright injured, Anders Carlson will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for starting kicking duties this Sunday against the Chiefs. Moody is missing a second straight game with a right high-ankle sprain. San Fran's offense typically makes most kickers fantasy relevant, but Carlson's inconsistent rookie season with the Packers should make those streaming at the position hesitant. The 26-year-old made 27 of his 33 field-goal tries last year in Green Bay and also missed five of his 39 extra-point tries.
Jake Moody, Matthew Wright Miss Practice On Thursday
San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody (right ankle) and Matthew Wright (shoulder, back) were absent from Thursday's practice. As the Niners prepare to battle the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend, they could be without both of the kickers on their roster. Moody was injured in Week 5, and now his replacement, Wright, is on the injury report after getting banged up while making a tackle in Week 6. It's starting to look like both Moody and Wright will miss Week 7, which would force the 49ers to use their third kicker in three weeks. Presumably, that replacement option would be Anders Carlson, who went 27-for-33 on field goals and 34-for-39 on extra points with the Green Bay Packers in 2023.
Jake Moody, Matthew Wright Miss Wednesday Practice
San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (shoulder) were both listed as non-participants in the team's first practice of the week. In a bizarre occurrence, the 49ers have had a kicker get injured in back-to-back weeks while attempting a tackle on a kickoff return. It's not much of a surprise that Moody missed another practice as he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain he picked up in San Francisco's Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. However, Wright's designation is worth noting after the MRI he received on his shoulder last Friday came back clean. The hope is that the 28-year-old will be healthy enough to play in the team's Week 7 tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs. If Wright can't suit up, the 49ers have signed kicker Anders Carlson to their practice squad as his replacement.
Matthew Wright To Kick For 49ers On Thursday Night
San Francisco 49ers kicker Matthew Wright will look to make a good impression in his 2024 debut in Seattle on Thursday night. Wright was signed early in the week after starting kicker Jake Moody suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday against the Cardinals. Originally signed out of the University of Central Florida in 2020, Wright has bounced around the league, including multiple stints with Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Carolina, and San Francisco. His most productive year was 2021 with Jacksonville when he played in 14 games. Wright owns a career field goal percentage of 85.1, hitting 40 of 47 attempts. His career-long is 59 yards. While Wright is not as talented as Moody, the biggest factor in choosing a fantasy kicker is the strength of the offense, so for fantasy managers who see San Francisco spending a lot of time in Seahawks territory, Wright is a decent option. That said, there are probably safer bets available in most leagues.