Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tyler Warren

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.

Tuesday, February 3, 3:08 PM

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren didn't disappoint after the Colts took him 14th overall in last year's NFL Draft out of Penn State. The 23-year-old immediately became Indy's No. 1 pass-catching tight end, and he finished his first year in the NFL as the Colts' No. 2 receiver, behind only Alec Pierce. Warren was the TE6 in half-PPR scoring with 76 receptions on 112 targets for 817 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games played. His 112 targets were third among all TEs, behind only Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts Sr. Warren wasn't quite as productive down the stretch for fantasy managers after starting quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Still, his overall numbers were impressive, and with Jones expected to return to the Colts, Warren will have true breakout potential as a top-five fantasy TE going into Year 2 in 2026.