Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Isaiah Likely

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.

Saturday, November 15, 8:06 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely hasn't really found a groove this season like he did at certain points last year. His best game was in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins when he collected three receptions for 60 yards and finished as the TE18 in half-PPR formats. Coming into a Week 11 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, Likely holds a bit more value with Rashod Bateman (ankle) and Justice Hill (toe) both being sidelined. Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers will probably remain the top two targets, however, and the Browns have only allowed five touchdowns to tight ends all season. That means Likely is still projected as a low-end TE2 who shouldn't be counted on in standard leagues.