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.

Tuesday, November 4, 11:51 AM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz hauled in six catches for 77 yards on eight targets in his team's Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos. While Schultz still has not found the end zone this season, he's quietly provided stable production at the tight end position in recent weeks. The 29-year-old has earned at least six targets and recorded at least five receptions in five out of his last six games. It's worth noting that the Texans may be without quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) in Week 10, but Schultz was still productive in Week 9 after Stroud was forced to exit the game. Schultz has a limited ceiling, but he can provide consistency for fantasy managers at the tight end position. He profiles as a deep-league waiver wire target heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.