Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Colston Loveland

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.

Saturday, November 8, 11:35 AM

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland is coming off a huge performance, posting 118 yards and two touchdowns in the 47-42 win over Cincinnati. The breakout game finally arrived for the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, beating his previous career high in yards by 80 yards. However, that surge came with veteran Cole Kmet leaving early due to a concussion. Kmet is off the injury report and set to return for Week 10 against the Giants. On the season, Kmet has played 70% of the snaps compared to Loveland's 56%, and his presence has consistently capped Loveland's routes and target share. With Kmet back in the mix and 25+ mph winds expected to limit the passing game, Loveland is a strong candidate for regression this week.