Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or George Kittle

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.

Saturday, November 1, 6:04 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in Week 8. The stat line was not outstanding, but it was enough to qualify as one of the few bright spots for the team on a day where they generated just 223 net yards on offense. Kittle ranked third on the team with five targets, behind Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder) and Christian McCaffrey, and will be in the mix to lead the team in targets in Week 9 against the Giants. Mac Jones (knee) has been tabbed to start while Brock Purdy (toe) is listed as questionable. Jones has been unafraid to throw this season (37.7 pass attempts/game), and he kept his tight end Jake Tonges in the picture while Kittle was on the shelf (6.5 targets/game in Jones' starts). Kittle is projected as a TE1 with top-five upside and should be plugged into starting lineups for Week 9.