Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tommy Tremble

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, October 3, 9:55 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble is currently in line to make another start in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins The Panthers will be without Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) again this weekend, so Tremble will be asked to make another start. Last week, Tremble hauled in five of his eight targets for 42 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The 25-year-old saw 75 percent of the offensive snaps. This was a nice performance from Tremble, but it's unclear if he can do it again. It's worth noting that wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is back in the mix after a two-game absence. It's tough to imagine Tremble getting eight targets again, but there should still be TE2 value here.