Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Tyler Warren

Saturday, September 20, 2:49 AM

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper has seen increased usage within the team's offense, but it's not enough to justify starting him in fantasy football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Hooper's snap share jumped from 32 percent in Week 1 to 62 percent in Week 2, and his pass-catching volume increased, too. The 30-year-old caught all three of his targets for 38 yards last week, out-producing Hunter Henry despite playing fewer snaps than him. Hooper remains the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart behind Henry, but he's still seeing decent playing time, especially in two-tight end sets. This week, Hooper is facing a mid-range Steelers defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends. Hooper ranks as RotoBaller's TE41 this week, and he can be benched in most leagues.

Tuesday, November 4, 9:08 PM

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren turned in a quiet game in a Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Warren caught five of his seven targets for just 26 yards in the loss, a season-low in receiving yards for the breakout rookie. The first-year tight end will look to move past his quietest game as a pro in a Week 10 home matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have dominated enemy tight ends this season, allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the position thus far. Warren remains a main piece of the Indy passing attack, but fantasy managers would be wise to temper expectations heading into Week 10. He is looking more like a low-end TE1 this coming weekend in all fantasy formats.