Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Ja'Tavion Sanders
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 15.1 | 0.1 |
Austin Hooper News
Monday, March 9, 9:40 AM
Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 14.2 | 0.1 |
Ja'Tavion Sanders News
Sunday, August 23, 1:59 AM
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has seen his fantasy value further drop this offseason. Throughout his career, he has 62 catches for 532 yards and two touchdowns over his first two seasons. He was even less productive in 2025, finishing with 29 receptions for 190 yards and one touchdown in 13 games. Things went from bad to worse as Sanders missed five games with an ankle sprain and later suffered a season-ending broken fibula in Week 17. Now he has to compete with Tommy Tremble for snaps, while Carolina recently added Darren Waller. Waller scored six touchdowns in nine games for Miami last season despite missing time with injuries. Sanders is the better receiving option than Tremble, but Carolina has rarely given its tight ends enough targets to support a fantasy starter, and the addition of Waller makes those targets harder to find. He should therefore remain undrafted in most 2026 leagues. Dynasty managers can still hold him, but another disappointing campaign could send him to the waiver wire.
Austin Hooper vs. Ja'Tavion Sanders
Still trying to decide between Hooper and Sanders? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Hooper is projected to score 3.3 points this week while Ja'Tavion Sanders is projected to score 3.8 points.
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