Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Colston Loveland

Saturday, September 13, 11:15 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper can be left on waivers in most fantasy leagues ahead of his Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. New England does operate out of two-tight end sets often, which allowed Hooper to have plenty of fantasy-relevant showings in 2024. However, we have not seen him demonstrate as much productivity this season as he caught his lone target for 10 yards in the season opener. Even though he works his way onto the field, Hooper is a rung below fellow tight end Hunter Henry in the pecking order. He can be avoided in Week 2.

Monday, September 15, 5:23 PM

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland was held without a catch in the team's 52-21 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. It was another quiet outing for the rookie, as Detroit's defense (ranked No. 1 against tight ends in 2024) completely erased the tight ends from the Bears' passing game. The usage split continues to favor veteran Cole Kmet, who logged nearly a 90% snap share compared to Loveland's 53%. With such a limited role, Loveland remains unstartable in all fantasy formats for the time being. That said, the Bears invested premium draft capital in Loveland, and his athletic upside hasn't gone away. As Chicago's offense settles in and game scripts become more competitive later in the season, his opportunities should grow. For now, he's a bench stash with long-term upside and should not be available in deeper formats.