Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Cade Stover

Saturday, September 20, 2:49 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper has seen increased usage within the team's offense, but it's not enough to justify starting him in fantasy football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Hooper's snap share jumped from 32 percent in Week 1 to 62 percent in Week 2, and his pass-catching volume increased, too. The 30-year-old caught all three of his targets for 38 yards last week, out-producing Hunter Henry despite playing fewer snaps than him. Hooper remains the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart behind Henry, but he's still seeing decent playing time, especially in two-tight end sets. This week, Hooper is facing a mid-range Steelers defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends. Hooper ranks as RotoBaller's TE41 this week, and he can be benched in most leagues.

Monday, November 10, 11:43 AM

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover (foot) could be activated from IR as soon as this week. The second-year pro has been shelved since breaking his foot back in Week 1, but he's progressed well and should return to action within the next few weeks. Before Stover went down with an injury, he and teammate Dalton Schultz played a nearly identical snap total. It's unclear if that will be the case once he's back, but the 25-year-old will certainly siphon away some playing time -- and targets -- from Schultz, who has seen greater than a 70% snap share in five of his last seven appearances. Schultz is still a solid fantasy option for the time being, but it's a situation worth keeping an eye on for those relying on him.