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.

Tuesday, September 30, 1:21 PM

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor again saw increased volume in his team's 27-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. The rookie set all new career-highs in Monday night's defeat, corralling 5-of-7 targets for 65 yards. In addition to those marks being new personal bests, they were good enough for second on the team behind wide receiver Garrett Wilson. After the solid outing, it's clear that this passing attack will funnel through Taylor, Wilson, and running back Breece Hall, as they're lapping the field in target share. Wilson commands most of quarterback Justin Fields' attention, so the LSU product will be subject to games with limited target quantities. However, he's an ascending asset with a TE1 finish under his belt. Taylor will have an excellent chance to continue his string of success in Week 5 against a Cowboys team that is friendly for fantasy.