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

Sunday, October 20, 6:48 PM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught four of his five targets for 32 yards during Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 29-year-old operated behind Hunter Henry once again but still managed to turn in his best game of the season as he posted season-highs in targets, receptions, and yards. Interestingly, he posted these results despite playing a season-low 38.3 percent of offensive snaps. While any efficient performance like this one will open the eyes of fantasy managers, we should caution that Hooper is still the No. 2 tight end in New England and doesn't have enough of a role to warrant fantasy consideration. He remains off the radar for Week 8 against the New York Jets.

Friday, February 23, 2:30 PM

The Athletic's James Boyd writes that Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox is an easy target if the team wishes to create more salary cap space this offseason. He's entering the final year of a three-year, $17.6 million contract extension that he signed in 2022. Alie-Cox is due the last $5.9 million of that in 2024, but none of it is guaranteed. The 30-year-old is the team's best blocking tight end and has recorded at least three touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, but he's not getting any younger and is unlikely to develop into a true No. 1 pass-catching tight end at this point of his career. Both Will Mallory and third-year tight end Jelani Woods, who missed all of 2023 with hamstring issues, give the Colts more upside at the position amid their current youth movement. Alie-Cox hasn't been much more than a low-upside, touchdown-dependent TE2 option for fantasy managers in deep leagues.