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.

Sunday, November 2, 11:43 AM

New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (neck), who was listed as doubtful to play in Week 9, is officially out on Sunday against the visiting San Francisco 49ers. Bellinger suffered a neck injury in last Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and will not suit up. His next chance to play will come next Sunday, Nov. 9, versus the Chicago Bears on the road. With the 25-year-old sitting out this weekend, Chris Manhertz will see more time on the field as a blocking TE, but he shouldn't be an option in any starting fantasy options. Theo Johnson should see more targets in the passing game as the G-Men look to get back on track after two straight losses. When healthy, Bellinger is more of a TE3 in fantasy as he shares playing time in New York with Johnson. In his eight games played in 2025, he has only 11 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets.