Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Jake Ferguson

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Saturday, November 22, 6:45 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is looking to bounce back against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. Ferguson had a strong stretch of play, but has been a bit sluggish lately. Last week, Ferguson hauled in four of his five targets for 16 yards in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The return of CeeDee Lamb seems to have cut into some of Ferguson's target share over the last few games. The 26-year-old has been held to under 50 receiving yards four of his last five games. Despite that, Ferguson should still be plugged in as a TE1 for this Week 12 matchup.