Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Austin Hooper

Monday, January 15, 5:11 AM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp did not produce much in the team's 24-23 wildcard loss to the Detroit Lions. Kupp caught five of his nine targets for just 27 yards. In his final game of the season, he finished with the sixth-most receiving yards on the team and did not end on a strong note. It has been clear that rookie WR Puka Nacua has overtaken Kupp as the team's number one receiver and that should be expected to remain going forward. Consider the former All-Pro as a high-end WR2 in fantasy drafts next season.

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.