Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Noah Fant

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.

Monday, March 11, 7:53 PM

Free-agent tight end Noah Fant is re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday for two years and $21 million, according to sources. The former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa has over 2,800 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his five NFL seasons with Denver and Seattle. He hasn't been much more than a TE2 in fantasy, though, and he really disappointed last year with a career-low 32 receptions on 43 targets for 414 yards and no touchdowns in 17 starts. The good news is that both Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are headed elsewhere in free agency, so perhaps the 26-year-old Fant is able to rebound as a more-involved pass-catcher in 2024. Until that happens, though, he should be left on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues.