Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Thomas Fidone II

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.

Friday, August 22, 2:54 AM

New York Giants rookie tight end Thomas Fidone II caught a touchdown on Thursday, August 21, 2025, during the Giants' 42-10 preseason victory over the New England Patriots. Fidone caught four of his five targets for 39 yards, with his longest reception going for 28 yards and averaging 9.8 yards per catch. The rookie seventh-round pick has been flashing potential throughout training camp and is doing his best to make a deep Giants roster at the tight end position. While Fidone is buried on the depth chart right now, his solid performance in the preseason finale gives him a strong case to be added to the 53-man roster.