Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Daniel Bellinger

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, October 7, 10:41 PM

New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger is a desperation-level fantasy option for the Week 6 Thursday night tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles, despite seeing increased usage last week. Bellinger led the team in receiving yards in Week 5 with four receptions on four targets for 52 yards, earning 7.2 fantasy points while playing a 52% snap share, an elevated role due to the offense utilizing more two-tight end sets following the Malik Nabers injury. This short-term value is severely limited by a brutal matchup against the Eagles, who rank as the 4th toughest defense against tight ends, allowing an average of only 7.82 fantasy points against the position. Given the Eagles' 3rd-best red zone defense (42.9% Defense Red Zone TD Rate) and Bellinger's low ceiling (zero touchdowns in 2025), he remains off the fantasy radar for all but the deepest leagues.