Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Hayden Hurst

Sunday, March 9, 8:57 PM

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

Saturday, January 11, 3:09 PM

According to the team, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hayden Hurst and rookie running back Kimani Vidal are both inactive for Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Both Hurst and Vidal were not on the injury report but will sit out during the opening game of the NFL playoffs. Hurst has appeared in only nine games this season and averaged a mere 1.4 targets per game. Fantasy managers should expect Will Dissly to operate as the clear TE1 on Saturday afternoon. With Vidal sitting out, fantasy managers should expect J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to lead the backfield. Dobbins carries RB1 upside in this match, while Hurst should be viewed as a TE2.