Who Should I Start? Michael Badgley or Tyler Bass

Friday, July 26, 9:56 PM

With the news that Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) had suffered a significant season-ending hamstring injury, the Lions worked out a horde of potential replacements. During the workout, Detroit tried out Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisic, Matthew McCrane, and Andre Szmyt. Badgley didn't start for Detroit until Week 15 of the 2023 season, but he was a reliable option for them from then on. He went 7-of-7 on field goal attempts from that point forward while also knocking in 23-of-25 extra-point attempts. It is unclear which direction they will go to fill their need. Still, this situation requires monitoring as they project to be one of the highest-scoring offenses in 2024, and whoever ends up kicking for them will be a valuable asset for fantasy managers.

Saturday, December 30, 12:10 AM

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass disappointed from a fantasy perspective in last Saturday's 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, drilling his lone field-goal attempt and each of his three extra-point tries. Though it was a 29-yard chip shot, Bass' converted field goal came in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter to keep Buffalo's playoff bid alive. The Bills came into Week 16 as double-digit favorites against a Chargers team missing four of their biggest stars, seemingly positioning them to form a lead and play from ahead. But such positive game script never quite materialized in that one, as the team essentially played down to a far inferior squad. Bass hopes for a different tune at home in Week 17 versus the New England Patriots, virtually finding himself in the same favorable setup as he did in his last time out. With no legitimate weather concerns in Orchard Park on Sunday, Bass should be treated as a top-10 kicking play.