Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or Austin Hooper

Wednesday, February 21, 2:02 PM

NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill believes that New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to bring a running game that will give running back Alvin Kamara "more space" to operate in 2024. Kubiak, who comes to New Orleans from the San Francisco 49ers, is expected to add plenty of pre-snap motion, something the Saints rarely did in 2023. The 28-year-old Kamara finished second among all RBs last year with 75 catches on 86 targets for 466 yards and a touchdown through the air. He added 180 rushing attempts for 694 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, so perhaps the addition of Kubiak will make Kamara more productive on the ground next season. Still, fantasy managers should have hesitations about Kamara's overall effectiveness as a rusher as he enters his age-29 campaign in 2024.

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.