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

Saturday, July 19, 8:48 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (undisclosed) was placed on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list on Saturday. He won't practice to begin training camp, although he is eligible once medically cleared. The 30-year-old has appeared in 139 regular-season games for the Falcons, Browns, Titans, Raiders, and Patriots since entering the NFL in 2016, amassing 409 catches for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns. Hooper is listed behind Hunter Henry on the depth chart. That likely won't change unless Henry goes down with an injury. Even then, Hooper won't be considered a trustworthy fantasy option. With that in mind, he's not expected to see attention from managers in any fantasy format during drafts heading into the 2025 campaign.

Monday, July 21, 9:19 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders "lost 10 pounds during the offseason and looked faster during OTAs," according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. Carolina drafted Sanders in the fourth round out of Texas in 2024. He appeared in 16 games (eight starts) as a rookie, logging 33 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown. Sanders should have an opportunity to earn significant playing time in his second season. His main competition at tight end in Carolina is Tommy Tremble, who has recorded 23 receptions in each of the past two seasons, and Mitchell Evans, a fifth-round selection by the team in this year's draft. With a good training camp and preseason, Sanders could be an intriguing late-round dart throw at the tight end position in deeper leagues.