Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Hunter Long

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.

Sunday, October 12, 9:56 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long enters Week 6 atop the depth chart after Brenton Strange (quad) was placed on injured reserve. While Long's exact volume is uncertain, he did step up and play 60 percent of the snaps after Strange went down last week, so he should definitely get involved. He also has six catches and a touchdown over his last three games, indicating that Trevor Lawrence is comfortable throwing him the football. Long ranks as a mid-to-low TE2 with some streaming appeal in deeper leagues. Fortunately for Long, he has upside given his matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who have surrendered the most receptions and seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2025.