Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tommy Tremble

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.

Saturday, December 27, 2:31 PM

Tommy Tremble was irrelevant in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Carolina TE caught one pass for six yards, finishing with 1.6 PPR points. Outside of Week 11, Tremble has not registered more than 4.0 PPR points in a game since Week 7. The Panthers will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17. The Seahawks ran 29th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to TEs this year. Even with a highly favorable matchup, Tremble is not close to consideration for fantasy championship lineups. Tremble has been targeted 4+ times in three games this season, and he has only one receiving TD.