Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Cole Kmet

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.

Tuesday, October 14, 9:11 PM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet had a very quiet game in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders, recording one catch for zero yards on two targets. With fellow Bears tight end Colston Loveland sidelined by a hip injury, Kmet saw a brief target spike (nine) in Week 4. However, with Loveland back in the lineup against Washington after Chicago's Week 5 bye, it appears Kmet will have a hard time earning the target volume needed for consistent fantasy production. Through five games this season, Kmet has eight catches for 116 yards and one touchdown on 18 targets. He should remain off of fantasy radars unless Loveland were to go down with another injury.