Who Should I Start? Michael Badgley or Eddy Piñeiro

Tuesday, March 4, 3:15 PM

The Detroit Lions recently cleared veteran kicker Michael Badgley (groin) from the torn groin that kept him out for all of last season, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. While Badgley has made a full recovery, he's now set to become a free agent next week. With the 29-year-old out of commission all year, Jake Bates served as Detroit's regular kicker and was very reliable, missing only three of his 29 field-goal attempts in 17 regular-season games while missing three of his 67 extra-point attempts in his first year in the league. Because of how good Bates looked in 2024, it's likely that the Lions will let Badgley walk in free agency as he heads into his eighth year in the NFL. Badgley has a career 82.4 percent success rate on 119 field-goal attempts in 64 games played. In four games with Detroit in 2023, he made all four of his FGs and went 13-for-15 on extra points.

Saturday, September 13, 2:00 PM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro revealed that he had offers from at least two teams before signing with the Niners this past week. Pineiro acknowledged that he chose the 49ers over an offer from the Atlanta Falcons. While the veteran kicker did not explain his reasoning for the decision, it's likely because he was offered a 53-man roster spot with San Francisco, whereas Atlanta merely wanted to add him to the practice squad as competition for Younghoee Koo. The Falcons pivoted to John Parker Romo, who will now add some pressure on Koo going forward. As for Pineiro, the veteran kicker will be active for his 49ers debut on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. He owns an impressive 88.1 percent success rate on field goals through his five years in the NFL, which includes stints with the Bears, Jets, and Panthers. Pineiro has top-12 kicker upside in fantasy football, but scoring opportunities could be a little harder to come by with Brock Purdy (shoulder), George Kittle (hamstring), and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) sidelined. On the other hand, Mac Jones' drives may stall just over midfield, creating more long field goal opportunities for Pineiro. He's a solid streaming option in leagues with 12+ teams.