Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Theo Johnson

Friday, April 3, 5:25 AM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson had a breakout campaign in 2025, catching 45 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns. He finished Year 2 in the NFL as the overall TE18 in fantasy football (PPR), and he firmly established himself not only as the Giants' top tight end but also as one of Jaxson Dart's favorite targets. The bad news for Johnson is that he probably won't be Dart's top target in 2026. Malik Nabers (knee) is returning from a torn ACL, giving Dart a superstar receiver worthy of 175 targets. We also expect newcomers Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney to have decent roles in the passing game. Meanwhile, running backs Cam Skattebo (ankle) and Tyrone Tracy Jr. will handle their fair share of volume. Finally, Johnson faces competition within his own position group after tight end Isaiah Likely followed head coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to New York. With so many mouths to feed, it's hard to imagine that Johnson will be able to fetch another 70+ targets and 40+ receptions in 2026. He is immensely talented, but the state of the offense will likely drop him to the low-end TE2 or high-end TE3 tier next year. He's a hold in most dynasty leagues, or a potential sell if you can find someone who still believes in his fantasy outlook long-term. Johnson has fallen to #34 among tight ends in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings.