Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Chig Okonkwo


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 8.6 0.0

Austin Hooper News

Austin Hooper Heading Back to Atlanta

Monday, March 9, 9:40 AM

Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.3 0.0 0.0 4.5 37.2 0.2

Chig Okonkwo News

Chig Okonkwo a Possibility for Commanders in Free Agency

Thursday, March 5, 4:35 PM

The Washington Commanders will rank in the top five for most salary cap space available this offseason, and ESPN's John Keim writes that they would like to add another tight end. Tennessee Titans impending free-agent tight end Chig Okonkwo is a possibility. Okonkwo led the Titans in receiving in 2025 with 56 catches on 79 targets for a career-high 560 yards and only two touchdowns in 17 games played in his fourth year in the league. However, the 26-year-old only ranked as the No. 22 tight end in half-PPR scoring last year, losing valuable targets and playing time to rookie Gunnar Helm, especially in the second half of the season. The Titans are expected to move forward with Helm as their pass-catching TE in 2026 and into the future, leaving Okonkwo to find a new team. Zach Ertz is a free agent, so if Okonkwo were to land in D.C., he could have a clearer path to TE1 utility in fantasy leagues this fall.


Austin Hooper vs. Chig Okonkwo

Still trying to decide between Hooper and Okonkwo? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Hooper is projected to score 2.0 points this week while Chig Okonkwo is projected to score 9.3 points.