Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Ronald Jones

Wednesday, November 19, 2:59 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

Monday, September 18, 7:43 PM

The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ronald Jones on Monday, the team announced. Jones was eligible to return to the active 53-man roster on Monday after serving a two-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, but the Cowboys have opted to go in another direction. The 26-year-old will now be hoping to latch on with another organization to provide some backfield depth. Tony Pollard is the team's clear-cut starter, with Rico Dowdle and rookies Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke backing him up in the running back room. Jones shouldn't be rostered in single-year fantasy leagues right now.