Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tyler Higbee
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 15.1 | 0.1 |
Austin Hooper News
Monday, March 9, 9:40 AM
Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 16.4 | 0.1 |
Tyler Higbee News
Thursday, August 27, 10:10 AM
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee remains part of the first-team offense, but the depth around him continues to work against his redraft value. Higbee caught 25 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season, then re-signed with Los Angeles on a two-year deal in March. He has been healthy this summer and recorded two receptions during the Rams' August 11 joint practice with Dallas, so this is not a case of Higbee falling out of the offense. The problem is volume. Colby Parkinson posted 43 catches for 408 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen are both back, and Los Angeles added Max Klare with the 61st overall pick. The Rams leaned heavily on multi-tight end personnel last season, but having five capable options makes it difficult for any one of them to command steady targets behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. RotoBaller's August 25 half-PPR rankings have Higbee 368th overall. He can still pop for a touchdown in the right matchup, but standard redraft managers should view him as a streaming option rather than a weekly starter.
Austin Hooper vs. Tyler Higbee
Still trying to decide between Hooper and Higbee? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Hooper is projected to score 3.3 points this week while Tyler Higbee is projected to score 3.8 points.
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