Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Keke Coutee

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.

Monday, August 28, 7:43 PM

The Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Keke Coutee on Monday. Coutee started the offseason with the New Orleans Saints but latched on with the Dolphins earlier this month after he was released. He now finds himself back on the open market mere weeks before the start of the 2023 regular season. The 26-year-old former fourth-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2018 out of Texas Tech spent the last two years with the Indianapolis Colts, catching only two passes for 25 yards in 10 games (zero starts). In his three seasons in Houston, he caught 83 of his 117 targets for 941 yards and four touchdowns in 23 games (10 starts). Coutee is obviously way off the fantasy radar right now.