Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Trey McBride

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.

Sunday, November 16, 8:57 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride caught 10 of his 11 targets for 115 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 11 loss against the San Francisco 49ers. McBride was already the top weapon in Arizona's passing attack, but he took on an even larger role this week with Marvin Harrison Jr. (appendix) sidelined. The tight end benefited from Jacoby Brissett completing 47 passes, which is a new NFL all-time single-game record. McBride now has five consecutive games with a touchdown, scoring six different times in that span. He'll remain a must-start, high-end TE1 even after Harrison returns to action. The Cardinals will host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12.