Week 1 kicks off with a Bills twist: Tyler Bass out due to hip/groin issues, landing on IR and forcing Matt Prater into Week 1 duty. Prater becomes the oldest Bills player to ever take the field, a franchise milestone that underscores the veteran’s leg and reliability even as age climbs.

Prater, 41, is entering his 19th NFL season with two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection, known for a rocket leg and solid accuracy. Buffalo’s kicking duties shift temporarily to him as Bass misses the first four games of 2025, promising long-range intrigue for fantasy managers while the offense remains potent.

Offensively, Buffalo should still move the ball, but Week 1 will hinge on Prater’s distance ability and wind at Baltimore. Fantasy implications center on longer field-goal opportunities and kick attributions, as Prater settles into a Bills uniform sooner than expected.

Buffalo's Week 1 kicker plan hinges on a rare roster maneuver: Matt Prater elevated from the practice squad to replace Tyler Bass for the Ravens game, while Buffalo keeps an open 53-man spot and pays Prater a one-game check. Bass’ groin/hip injuries land him on IR for four games, and Prater can be elevated only three times before activation. Buffalo enters Week 1 with 52 players, balancing cap prudence and football necessity in a high-stakes AFC tilt.

The move is money-driven and practical: avoid guaranteed salaries for vested veterans while ensuring a reliable leg for Week 1. If Prater stumbles, Bass could still be out for a stretch, but the Bills will have to navigate a tricky path as Week 2 approaches. Beane’s roster-tightrope underscores how every slot matters in an opener against Baltimore, with fantasy implications for kickers and ST depth alike.

Bills sign Matt Prater after Tyler Bass injury, elevating their kicking game as Week 1 nears, while Baltimore rolls with Tyler Loop as its rookie replacement. A field-goal duel could decide Ravens–Bills, with Josh Allen, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers providing veteran-grade fantasy intrigue while Justin Tucker looms as a relic of clutch kicks.

Buffalo’s and Baltimore’s special-teams stories shape the blueprint for fantasy rosters: Prater’s pedigree and Loop’s nerves, Bass’s IR stint, and a potential late-kick heroics scenario that could swing lineups in a tight, kick-heavy matchup.

Ravens–Bills Week 1 features significant depth-chart shifts in Baltimore: Ricard and Likely out, paving the way for Lucas Scott and Zaire Mitchell-Paden to handle fullback/TE duties while Charlie Kolar sees a heavier early workload alongside Mark Andrews, who’s bullish on Kolar’s progress. Faalele returns to bolster the line, and Baltimore’s offense aims to exploit gaps with Kolar’s receiving ability as a complement to Andrews. Buffalo counters with Matt Prater stepping in for Tyler Bass, while its secondary is banged up (Hairston IR, White doubtful, Benford limited).

Fantasy angles center on the Ravens’ pass-catching duo around Andrews and Kolar, plus the evolving blocking/receiving mix from Kolar and Likely’s absence. For Buffalo, the kicking game and secondary health temper expectations, while the Ravens’ reshuffled group could yield opportunistic ground gains early, especially if Baltimore uses heavy tight-end packages to blunt Bills’ defensive pressure.