Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dallas Goedert

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.

Wednesday, October 22, 7:32 PM

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (calf) is dealing with a calf injury and was limited in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to the team. Goedert scored five touchdowns in a four-game span leading into the Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, but he managed only three receptions for 18 yards in that game and broke his touchdown streak. Still, the 30-year-old remains a big part of Philly's passing attack, as evidenced by his 21.7% target share through six games played. Where Goedert really excels is in the red zone, as he's been quarterback Jalen Hurts' go-to target there. His calf injury doesn't appear to be all that serious, so we expect Goedert to suit up in the divisional rematch against the New York Giants in Week 8. Goedert had by far his best game of the year two weeks ago against New York, catching nine of 11 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown.