Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Pat Freiermuth


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.3 0.0 0.0 1.3 15.1 0.1

Austin Hooper News

Austin Hooper Heading Back to Atlanta

Monday, March 9, 9:40 AM

Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
7.5 0.0 0.0 3.0 30.8 0.2

Pat Freiermuth News

Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell Pat Freiermuth?

Wednesday, July 8, 10:21 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth saw his numbers decline across the board in 2025, as he finished the season with 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games (eight starts). After finishing as the TE13 by per-game PPR scoring in 2024, Freiermuth slipped down to TE32 by the same measure in 2025. Freiermuth could see a target boost in 2026 following the departure of former Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency. However, Pittsburgh signed tight end Darnell Washington to a lucrative contract extension and also brought in a high-volume target earner in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. In dynasty formats, Freiermuth profiles as a sell candidate ahead of what could be another year of production decline.


Austin Hooper vs. Pat Freiermuth

Still trying to decide between Hooper and Freiermuth? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Hooper is projected to score 3.3 points this week while Pat Freiermuth is projected to score 7.5 points.