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

Tuesday, July 29, 9:36 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (undisclosed) returned to practice on Tuesday, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Hooper had started camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, but he appears to be back in action. The 30-year-old recorded 45 catches for 476 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games with New England in 2024. He's behind Hunter Henry on the Patriots' tight end depth chart, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team use plenty of two tight-end sets now that Josh McDaniels is back in town as the play-caller. Even still, Hooper would need an injury to Henry to crack the radar of fantasy managers.

Monday, September 1, 9:14 PM

An AFC scout told Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic that he sees Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. "breaking out in 2027." The same scout said that Fannin Jr. has "glue hands" and is "crafty before and after the catch." Finally, Rodrigue writes that Browns quarterback Joe Flacco recently said Fannin Jr. is gaining confidence. A third-round pick out of Bowling Green who led the FBS in receptions and receiving yards in 2024, Fannin Jr. will play his entire rookie season at just 21 years old. Given his age and the relatively low level of competition he saw in college, it wouldn't be surprising to see an adjustment period for Fannin Jr. early in his NFL career. If the scout quoted in Rodrigue's article is correct, now may be the time for dynasty managers to look to stash Fannin Jr.