Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Mo Alie-Cox

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.

Friday, April 11, 10:54 AM

The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed tight end Mo Alie-Cox to a one-year deal on Friday. Alie-Cox is headed back to Indy for a eighth straight season. In 2024, Alie-Cox finished with 12 receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown in 17 games (13 starts) with the Colts. At this point, Alie-Cox is mainly depth as the Colts are likely to target a tight end during the upcoming NFL Draft. Regardless, it's hard to imagine Alie-Cox having fantasy value considering he hasn't posted a season with over 200 receiving yards since 2021. This appears to be a depth signing as Alie-Cox knows the system and the organization well.