Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Schultz

Saturday, July 19, 8:48 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (undisclosed) was placed on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list on Saturday. He won't practice to begin training camp, although he is eligible once medically cleared. The 30-year-old has appeared in 139 regular-season games for the Falcons, Browns, Titans, Raiders, and Patriots since entering the NFL in 2016, amassing 409 catches for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns. Hooper is listed behind Hunter Henry on the depth chart. That likely won't change unless Henry goes down with an injury. Even then, Hooper won't be considered a trustworthy fantasy option. With that in mind, he's not expected to see attention from managers in any fantasy format during drafts heading into the 2025 campaign.

Wednesday, June 4, 12:31 PM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (leg) is back practicing at voluntary organized team activities this week after missing the first few sessions with an apparent leg injury, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander. In his second year working with quarterback C.J. Stroud, Schultz disappointed in 2024 with 53 catches on 85 targets for 532 yards and only two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (13 starts), especially when considering the season-ending injuries to receivers Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee). Diggs is gone and Dell probably won't play at all in 2025, but the Texans added Christian Kirk via trade and Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the draft. The 28-year-old is the team's clear-cut top pass-catching tight end, but Schultz could once again struggle for consistent targets on a week-to-week basis for his fantasy managers.