Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Kincaid

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, October 4, 7:05 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid continues to separate himself as the primary pass-catching option at the position, despite splitting snaps evenly in the offense. After seeing just two targets against the Saints in Week 4, Kincaid is a strong candidate to bounce back to his usual workload of around six targets per game. The third-year tight end has been a consistent playmaker, finding the end zone in three of four contests and ranking third on the team with 179 receiving yards on 14 catches. Most importantly, Kincaid leads Buffalo in touchdown receptions, solidifying his chemistry with Josh Allen in scoring situations. Fantasy managers should continue to view Kincaid as a dependable mid-tier TE1 who offers weekly touchdown upside, especially in a Bills offense that thrives on utilizing him in the red zone.