Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Jonnu Smith

Wednesday, November 20, 8:04 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (neck) was listed as limited on the team's practice report on Wednesday. Hooper apparently picked up a neck injury in the Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the fact that he practiced at all on Wednesday means he has a good shot of playing this Sunday when the team takes on the division-rival Miami Dolphins. The 30-year-old has seen an uptick in production the last two weeks with rookie quarterback Drake Maye now leading the offense -- he's caught seven of eight targets for 99 yards -- although he's still nothing more than a low-end TE2 for fantasy purposes while ceding most of the tight end pass-catching work to Hunter Henry. In his first year in New England, Hooper has just one trip to paydirt and has 23 receptions (34 targets) for 236 yards in 11 games.

Saturday, November 16, 7:26 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith gets a great matchup in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. For most of the season, he has maintained a good target share and has carved out a meaningful role in the offense. He's garnered six or more targets in four of his last five games. The Raiders defense has been porous against tight ends this year, giving up the fourth most fantasy points per game to the position. They've also allowed the fifth most touchdowns to tight ends this season. In their last two games, Travis Kelce and Mike Gesicki had 90 receiving yards and a touchdown. If you need a replacement starter this week, Smith could be a viable option. He checks in as RotoBaller's TE17 for Week 11.