Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tyler Higbee

Saturday, December 21, 12:54 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper has been productive over his last five games, totaling 18 catches, 238 yards, and two touchdowns during that span. Even as the Patriots' No. 2 tight end, Hooper has managed to make a name for himself, ranking as the overall TE14 in fantasy points since Week 10. That actually ranks five whole spots higher than fellow Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, despite the fact that Henry has played more snaps than Hooper and has more fantasy points over the whole season. Hooper's rapport with Drake Maye does put him on the fantasy radar this week, but he's still in the mid-to-low TE2 tier. That's especially true as he prepares to take on a Bills defense allowing the ninth-fewest catches, sixth-fewest receptions, and sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2024.

Friday, December 20, 5:10 PM

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (knee, illness) has been removed from the Week 16 final injury report on Friday and will make his 2024 debut in Week 16 on Sunday versus the New York Jets. Higbee practiced in full on Wednesday and Friday and was rested on Thursday while being under the weather. The 31-year-old veteran is just now playing for the first time in 2024 after tearing both his ACL and MCL in an ugly collision in the playoffs last season. It's great news for the Rams offense as they look to stamp their ticket to the playoffs in the final three weeks of the season, but fantasy managers with everything on the line in the postseason these next two weeks shouldn't be expecting Higbee to help them out. Most likely, the Rams will ease Higbee back into the fold and he'll join a TE committee in LA that already includes Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. Consider him a shaky TE2 streamer, at best.