Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Dawson Knox

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.

Monday, March 11, 1:17 PM

The Buffalo Bills and tight end Dawson Knox agreed to a reworked contract on Monday that lessens his $14.4 million salary cap hit in 2024, according to a source. Knox is going into Year 2 of a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Bills. After the team drafted Dalton Kincaid last year, Knox's fantasy value took a huge hit. The 27-year-old former third-round selection in 2019 out of Mississippi caught a career-low 22 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 36 targets in 12 regular-season games in 2023. Knox had career-highs in receiving yards (587) and touchdowns (nine) in 2021, but coming anywhere close to those numbers is out the window now as long as Kincaid stays healthy and Knox remains in Buffalo.