Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Juwan Johnson

Saturday, September 20, 2:49 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper has seen increased usage within the team's offense, but it's not enough to justify starting him in fantasy football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Hooper's snap share jumped from 32 percent in Week 1 to 62 percent in Week 2, and his pass-catching volume increased, too. The 30-year-old caught all three of his targets for 38 yards last week, out-producing Hunter Henry despite playing fewer snaps than him. Hooper remains the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart behind Henry, but he's still seeing decent playing time, especially in two-tight end sets. This week, Hooper is facing a mid-range Steelers defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends. Hooper ranks as RotoBaller's TE41 this week, and he can be benched in most leagues.

Friday, October 10, 3:25 PM

After logging two limited practices to start the week, New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (ankle) was a full participant on Friday and is good to go for Sunday's matchup with the Patriots, according to head coach Kellen Moore. While Johnson has seen his target share and receptions drop dramatically over the last two weeks, the Patriots have been one of the league's worst teams at defending the tight end and have already ruled out starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Johnson has a chance to repeat some of his early-season success and could be readily available on waiver wires following two disappointing performances.