Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Schultz

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.

Tuesday, March 5, 2:09 PM

The Houston Texans agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal to re-sign tight end Dalton Schultz on Tuesday with $23.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, according to sources. Schultz will now remain a key weapon for second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. Schultz was the top tight end scheduled to be a free agent this year, but the Texans made sure he wouldn't make it to the open market. The 27-year-old was a bit inconsistent for fantasy managers in 2023 in his first year in Houston, but his fantasy arrow is pointing up now that he's staying in Houston with Stroud, who looked like a seasoned veteran in his rookie year. In 15 regular-season games last year, Schultz finished as the No. 10 tight end in half-point PPR scoring, securing 59 of his 88 targets for 635 yards and five touchdowns.