Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or AJ Barner

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Friday, December 12, 9:56 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (ankle) remains a solid streaming option in Week 15 against an Indianapolis Colts defense that allows 15.5 points per game to opposing tight ends in fantasy. Barner has been relatively inconsistent this season due to variable target volume. However, he has remained an every-down player, and he is always a threat to score a touchdown. Barner's ceiling is tapped by a lack of volume, but he retains a solid floor for the tight end position. With the Colts having trouble containing opposing tight ends, Barner could find room to work, especially with wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Jaxon Smith-Njigba running wild on the outside. Look for the Seahawks to deploy an effective passing attack on Sunday. If you are dealing with an inconsistent starter or you have been streaming the position this year, you could do worse than Barner this week. Barner has been listed as a full participant on Seattle's injury report this week, but he should be good to go for Sunday.