Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Pat Freiermuth

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, November 11, 10:14 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth caught all three of his targets for 33 yards in a Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It remains difficult to predict weekly involvement for Pittsburgh's tight ends, but all of them could find success against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. When these two teams met in Week 7, Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington each found the end zone. The Bengals have allowed the most fantasy points and touchdowns to tight ends this season, and Freiermuth has historically torched them. In nine career games versus Cincinnati, he has totaled six touchdowns while averaging over seven targets, five receptions, and 66 yards per contest. Though far from a reliable fantasy starter, Freiermuth can be streamed in a pinch and considered in DFS lineups this Sunday.