Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dalton Schultz

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.

Thursday, November 13, 1:57 PM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (shoulder) is missing a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. With two DNPs to begin the week, Schultz is firmly up in the air to play this weekend against the division-rival Tennessee Titans. It's pretty disappointing for any fantasy managers who picked up the 29-year-old after he had seven receptions on a season-high 11 targets for 53 yards and his first touchdown of 2025 in last week's spirited comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The good news, though, is that Schultz missed two practices back in Week 9 with knee and shoulder injuries before returning to practice on Friday and playing that Sunday. Schultz may need a full practice this Friday to be cleared to play on Sunday. Harrison Bryant (neck, shoulder) is also banged up, and Cade Stover (foot) is still on IR, so Houston's TE corps could be dangerously thin if Schultz cannot play this Sunday.