Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dawson Knox


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.6 0.1 0.0 1.1 11.0 0.1

Austin Hooper News

Austin Hooper Heading Back to Atlanta

Monday, March 9, 9:40 AM

Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.4 0.0 0.0 1.7 19.1 0.1

Dawson Knox News

Dawson Knox Falls Down the Pecking Order in Buffalo

Friday, September 11, 6:55 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox continues to be a secondary option in the team's passing offense. The Buffalo pass-catching group is led by DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton Kincaid, resulting in Knox falling down the pecking order. He was the overall TE28 in PPR leagues last year, and his ranking will likely fall even lower in 2026 now that Moore has been added to the team. His fantasy production also benefitted from Kincaid missing some games and playing a lower snap share even when healthy, which probably won't happen again in 2026. Knox would have some streaming appeal if Kincaid were to get hurt, but until then, he can be avoided in all redraft and most dynasty leagues. He ranks as the TE37 in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, who allowed the 13th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season.


Austin Hooper vs. Dawson Knox

Still trying to decide between Hooper and Knox? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Hooper is projected to score 2.6 points this week while Dawson Knox is projected to score 4.4 points.