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 15, 2:09 PM

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland was a key contributor in Week 10 and is looking to further his breakout this week. After demolishing the Bengals in Week 9, Loveland hauled in four passes for 55 yards against the Giants, which ranked second among the team. Despite coming off the breakout, his snap count did not improve, as Cole Kmet outsnapped the rookie (69%-63%) in Week 10. Loveland faces the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11, who rank in the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy production from tight ends. Despite the first-round talent and improving production, Loveland is still a risky start in fantasy leagues this week due to his low snap count.