Who Should I Start? Tyler Bass or Jake Bates

Wednesday, September 24, 1:07 PM

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that kicker Tyler Bass (groin, hip) is "moving in the right direction," but the team is unsure when he will return from Injured Reserve, according to Maddy Glab of BuffaloBills.com. Bass will have to miss at least one more game while on IR, but he'll be eligible to make his 2025 debut in Week 5 against the division-rival New England Patriots. Given the fact that there's still no timetable on the 28-year-old's return, it seems unlikely he'll play next week. The Bills have been using veteran Matt Prater with Bass sidelined. Prater was perfect in the first two weeks before missing one of his two field-goal attempts last Thursday night in the win over the Miami Dolphins. The 41-year-old will be a strong starting kicking option in fantasy lineups again in Week 4 in a matchup against the 0-3 New Orleans Saints.

Friday, October 3, 5:16 PM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates knocked in both his field goal attempts and all four extra-point tries in his team's Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns. Bates continues to lead the league in extra-point attempts and makes while playing with the high-powered Lions' offense, which is averaging 34.3 points per game through the first four weeks of the season. On paper, Detroit should be able to put up points again in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed 29.8 points per game across their first four games. The weather in Cincinnati on Sunday also looks favorable for kicking, so Bates should be well-positioned for success in Week 5. Bates profiles as a must-start fantasy kicker this week against the Bengals.