Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tyler Lockett

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.

Sunday, March 10, 12:08 AM

The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Tyler Lockett agreed on a two-year, $30 million restructured contract on Saturday. The deal includes a maximum value of $34 million, including $13 million guaranteed this year. The restructured deal gives the Seahawks extra cap space with NFL free agency officially beginning on Wednesday. The 31-year-old caught 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns across 17 games in 2023, his lowest yardage output since 2017. Lockett will remain Seattle's No. 2 wideout behind superstar DK Metcalf and compete for targets with first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The veteran wideout is a boom-or-bust fantasy option and a better best-ball pick than standard PPR formats. Lockett is a fantasy WR3 heading into early best-ball drafts in 2024.