Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Lamar Jackson

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.

Saturday, January 20, 8:18 PM

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson exhibited his MVP potential in the 2023 Divisional Round, accumulating 252 yards and four touchdowns, including 100 rushing yards in the team's 34-10 victory over the Texans. Despite initial skepticism about his postseason performance, the former MVP emphatically led the Ravens' offense down the field. Jackson's scoring on the first two drives of the second half led to a strategic shift to an ultra-run-heavy approach, tempering his passing statistics for the day. As the AFC's top seed, the impending title game will be at M&T Bank Stadium against either the Bills or Chiefs presents a challenge, with both teams ranking in the bottom 10 in points allowed to quarterbacks. Nevertheless, Jackson is anticipated to deliver robust numbers as the linchpin of the entire offense.