Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Kincaid

Sunday, March 9, 8:57 PM

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

Monday, January 27, 7:07 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox said on Monday that fellow TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) was playing in the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday on a torn PCL in his knee. In addition to that injury, Kincaid aggravated his other knee. "It's insane what he's played through," Knox said. This could help to explain why the 25-year-old second-year tight end had a disappointing sophomore campaign for Buffalo, catching just 44 passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns in 13 regular-season games after he had a 73-673-2 line in 16 games in 2023 in his rookie season. He caught only two of his four targets for 13 yards in the 32-29 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday and had a crucial drop with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter on fourth down that effectively ended Buffalo's season. If Kincaid can move past his knee injuries in 2025, he could be a nice TE sleeper in fantasy drafts this fall.