Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Kyle Pitts

Sunday, March 9, 8:57 PM

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

Tuesday, June 10, 1:23 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that tight end Kyle Pitts (foot) is unlikely to be on the field at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and the team will continue to be "cautious" with him. Pitts was already trending down in fantasy circles this offseason after yet another disappointing campaign in 2024 that saw him catch 47 of his 74 targets for 602 yards, although he did catch a career-high four touchdowns in 17 games (15 starts). Now the 24-year-old is missing on-field reps this offseason with a foot injury that he Falcons haven't released many details on. The former first-rounder is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and has been mentioned as a trade candidate. A change of scenery might be what Pitts needs to return to his rookie level of production, when he had a 68-1,026-1 line. Pitts has now become a TE2 in fantasy.