Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Harold Fannin Jr.

Saturday, July 19, 8:48 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (undisclosed) was placed on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list on Saturday. He won't practice to begin training camp, although he is eligible once medically cleared. The 30-year-old has appeared in 139 regular-season games for the Falcons, Browns, Titans, Raiders, and Patriots since entering the NFL in 2016, amassing 409 catches for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns. Hooper is listed behind Hunter Henry on the depth chart. That likely won't change unless Henry goes down with an injury. Even then, Hooper won't be considered a trustworthy fantasy option. With that in mind, he's not expected to see attention from managers in any fantasy format during drafts heading into the 2025 campaign.

Friday, June 13, 3:10 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie third-round tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had a busy day earlier this week at mandatory minicamp and could have a big role in his first season in the NFL with the Browns expected to use more two-tight end sets in 2025. "He's got really strong hands," tight ends coach Christian Jones said. "He tracks the ball well and you see it on tape every time he's been playing when you study him and we're getting ready to see what he'd be for us. The guy catches everything, tracks the ball well and really adjusts to the ball in the air." Fannin is on the small side for a TE, but his production last year at Bowling Green speaks for itself (117 catches, 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns). It's unclear if he has the athleticism to exceed regularly in the NFL, though, and he'll have a tough time making a fantasy impact in 2025 as long as David Njoku stays healthy.