Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Sam LaPorta
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 |
Sam LaPorta News
Tuesday, March 3, 5:25 AM
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the final eight weeks of the 2025 regular season, and when he returns in 2026, he'll find himself in a new-look offense. The strong supporting cast remains in place (minus David Montgomery), but we expect to see a new offensive scheme and style of play after Detroit made a coaching staff change. The Lions hired former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to the same role, indicating we could see even more emphasis on the tight end position next year. Petzing helped pepper Trey McBride with targets last year; the 26-year-old was the TE2 in PPR leagues in 2024, and the TE1 last season. LaPorta is looking to return to that type of elite form. He was the TE1 himself as a rookie in 2023, but he dropped to TE8 in 2024 and TE27 in his injury-shortened 2025 campaign. When healthy last season, LaPorta averaged 4.4 catches, 54.3 yards, and 0.3 touchdowns per game. If Petzing places an emphasis on getting the tight end even more involved, he'll make a strong push to be a top-five fantasy option at the position in 2026. Because he's coming off an injury, he's an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues, as well as an underpriced draft pick at his ADP in redraft formats.
Austin Hooper vs. Sam LaPorta
Still trying to decide between Hooper and LaPorta? 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 Sam LaPorta is projected to score 0.0 points.
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