Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Pat Freiermuth
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Austin Hooper News
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Pat Freiermuth News
Thursday, May 7, 7:16 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a frustrating 2025 season, catching just 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns en route to ranking as the overall TE25 in PPR leagues. There's some uncertainty about his future outlook, but the good news is that the Steelers have a new coaching staff in place, and they didn't bring in anyone to compete with Freiermuth. He's clearly the top option on the depth chart, ahead of players like Darnell Washington and rookie Riley Nowakowski. The bad news, on the other hand, is that in Mike McCarthy's last season as a head coach (2024), Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was the TE25. In the Cowboys' first year without McCarthy, he soared to TE5. So while we're encouraged that the Steelers' coaching staff change -- plus the anticipated return of dependable passer Aaron Rodgers -- could be good for Freiermuth, we also acknowledge that McCarthy doesn't have the greatest short-term track record with the position. The 27-year-old should bounce back this year, but the exact magnitude of his progression is unknown. We're not ready to bank on him being a TE1 in fantasy football.
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 0.0 points this week while Pat Freiermuth is projected to score 0.0 points.
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