Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Mason Taylor

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.

Wednesday, November 12, 8:38 PM

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor was a disappointment in Week 10's win against the Cleveland Browns, hauling in 1-of-2 targets for a gain of four yards. Heading into the team's bye, the rookie had garnered five or more targets in five of six games. In fact, he recorded his second-highest target total of the season the week prior (eight). However, Taylor has followed 8- and 12-target outings with one-catch, single-digit yardage output. Naturally, the 21-year-old is experiencing NFL growing pains, although a struggling Jets' offense hasn't been an ecosystem conducive to success. With wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) facing an extended absence, it stands to reason that Taylor would absorb a higher target share. On the other hand, there's no guarantee New York won't again deploy a run-heavy attack. Taylor is a low-end streaming option, and, officially, RotoBaller's PPR TE26 for his week 11 matchup with a staunch New England Patriots' defense.