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.

Monday, November 3, 7:26 PM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo caught two passes for 10 yards on two targets in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Okonkwo was active despite being limited in practice with a foot injury most of the week. The 26-year-old has fallen short of three targets on two occasions over the last three weeks. On Sunday, Okonkwo was limited to five yards per reception, the third-lowest this season. Okonkwo has only finished as a top-eight tight end once through the first nine weeks and still hasn't scored a touchdown this year. The Titans are heading into a crucial bye week that could lead to changes aimed at improving their offense. Managers should consider benching Okonkwo after the bye week, when the Titans host the Houston Texans in Week 11.