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.

Saturday, October 11, 12:20 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has been underwhelming in his fifth professional season and will look to turn things around against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. With wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder) sidelined this week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers could target his tight ends more frequently, but it's difficult to predict who will benefit most at the position. Though Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith were expected to be featured in the offense early on, it was Darnell Washington who led the group in snaps in Week 4. Given Cleveland's strong defensive front, the big-bodied Washington could be in line for more opportunities on Sunday, further limiting Freiermuth's fantasy output. Fantasy managers should steer clear of Pittsburgh's tight ends this week, leaving Freiermuth on the waiver wire in most formats.