Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Ja'Tavion Sanders

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.

Friday, October 24, 11:04 PM

Ja'Tavion Sanders has yet to become a factor in the Carolina passing game this season. This year, Sanders has no touchdowns and only logged over two receptions and 50 receiving yards in one of his four games played. The second-year tight end was targeted twice, but had no receptions in last week's contest, which was his first since returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss four games. Carolina will face the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed 5.6 fantasy points per game to tight ends, which is second-best in the league this season. Considering his underwhelming numbers, Sanders is unrosterable in any formats outside of Dynasty leagues until further notice.