Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Noah Fant

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Friday, December 26, 6:25 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of the Week 17 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals. Fant suffered an ankle injury in Week 15, and as a result, he sat out during last week's game against the Miami Dolphins. He was limited during the first two practice sessions of the week before getting in a full practice on Friday. Fant appears to be trending in the right direction, but fantasy managers will need to check back on Sunday. If active, Fant remains a shaky streaming option for this weekend. The 28-year-old hasn't finished with more than one reception since Week 11. Fantasy managers should be able to find a more reliable streaming option for this weekend.