Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Jimmy Garoppolo

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.

Friday, March 15, 5:37 PM

The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms with free-agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, according to sources. Following his disastrous year with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, Jimmy G is now set to join the Rams for one season as Matthew Stafford's backup. Garoppolo must first serve a two-games suspension to start the year for performance-enhancing drugs, but then he will be holding a clipboard on the sidelines with the Rams. The 32-year-old signal-caller played in seven games with the Raiders last year before getting hurt and eventually benched for rookie Aidan O'Connell, going 110-for-169 for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Pretty much all of the fantasy value that Jimmy G had going into last season is now gone.