Who Should I Start? Tyler Bass or Rodrigo Blankenship

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.

Monday, August 21, 6:14 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on Monday. Blankenship lost the kicking battle to Chase McLaughlin in training camp this summer and will now look to latch on with another team before the start of the 2023 regular season. The 26-year-old spent last year with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, going 4-for-5 on his field-goal tries and 4-for-5 on extra points in just three total games. As long as Tampa doesn't bring in more competition for McLaughlin to close out the preseason, he should enter Week 1 as the team's starting kicker. McLaughlin, 27, made 83.3 percent of his 36 field-goal attempts and made all 21 of his extra-point tries in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. The kicking position in Tampa won't be as exciting in fantasy now that Tom Brady isn't running the offense in 2023.