Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Chig Okonkwo

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.

Saturday, October 18, 9:25 AM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo has quietly emerged as one of quarterback Cameron Ward's favorite targets, which should benefit him as he looks to maintain low-end fantasy relevance against the New England Patriots in Week 7. The 26-year-old has 10 catches for 94 yards over his last two games, and he ranks as the overall TE21 in scoring so far (PPR). The good news is that he has been a short-range outlet for Ward, but he can still contribute extra yards with his impressive YAC ability. We need to see a little more consistency from Okonkwo before confidently starting him. That could happen this week against the Patriots, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2025.