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

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Tuesday, November 25, 10:09 AM

Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the team with four catches (six targets) for 40 yards in a Week 12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. After running just 48.5% of the team's routes in Week 11, his lowest in a game since Week 5, Fannin climbed back to 66.7% in Week 12 and paced the Cleveland passing attack in Shedeuer Sanders' first career start. The rookie tight end played a season-high 89.6% of snaps and continued to showcase his exceptional tackle-breaking ability, forcing 11 missed tackles in the game, which is the most by a tight end in a game this season. Fannin mostly operates in a short area of the field to let him generate yards after the catch, and Sanders looked for him as a checkdown frequently. The upside isn't super high for Fannin in a bad Cleveland offense, but he has been their most consistent pass catcher this season. He is worthy of a waiver add in 12-team leagues for fantasy managers looking for a tight end.