Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Cole Kmet

Sunday, October 20, 6:48 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught four of his five targets for 32 yards during Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 29-year-old operated behind Hunter Henry once again but still managed to turn in his best game of the season as he posted season-highs in targets, receptions, and yards. Interestingly, he posted these results despite playing a season-low 38.3 percent of offensive snaps. While any efficient performance like this one will open the eyes of fantasy managers, we should caution that Hooper is still the No. 2 tight end in New England and doesn't have enough of a role to warrant fantasy consideration. He remains off the radar for Week 8 against the New York Jets.

Saturday, November 16, 5:33 AM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet is a risky fantasy start in Week 11, given his limited involvement in recent games and a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers' defense. Kmet has been a secondary option in the Bears' offense, which has struggled to find consistency, making him a volatile play this week. However, there has been a significant change in Chicago's offensive structure: the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron just nine games into his tenure. In his place, the team promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, hoping that his new approach would spark a more efficient offense and, in turn, lead to a more significant role for Kmet. While the potential for improvement is there, it's important to note that the Bears' offensive line still deals with critical injuries, which could limit the offense's overall effectiveness. If you're in a pinch and need to start Kmet, be cautious with your expectations. Ideally, it would be best to explore other options, but this week will provide insight into how the coaching change might impact Kmet's involvement moving forward.