Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Kincaid

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Friday, January 9, 3:30 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) is good to go and will not carry an injury designation into his team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old was limited in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday due to a knee injury, but he was able to return to full participation on Friday. Kincaid battled through multiple different injuries in 2025, recording 39 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns on 49 targets. The Bills generally split tight end reps between Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes. However, Kincaid features most heavily among all Buffalo tight ends in the passing game, and he could be the Bills' highest-upside pass-catcher overall. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues should view Kincaid as a solid tight end option entering the postseason.