Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Evan Engram

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.

Sunday, January 7, 7:46 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram caught 10 of his 13 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's meeting with the Titans. With the loss, the Jaguars were eliminated from postseason contention. However, Engram put forth his best effort, so he can't shoulder much of the blame. Overall, the 29-year-old arguably had the best season of his career. He caught 114 passes, doing so despite the subpar play of Trevor Lawrence. Engram also nearly hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark and found the end zone four times. That said, his stock will be much higher than most at the position ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. If Lawrence can get his act together, Engram could be in line for his best year in the league.