Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Austin Hooper

Saturday, October 11, 6:28 AM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller has been extremely productive since returning from his hip injury two weeks ago, and he'll be a solid starting option in Week 6 against the Chargers. Waller retired and did not play last year, and was sidelined by a hip issue for the first three weeks of 2025. He returned in Week 4 with two touchdowns and 27 yards against the Jets, and he built on that last week by hauling in all five of his targets for 78 yards and a third touchdown. His snap count doubled from 16 in Week 4 to 32 in Week 5, and he was a key contributor even at just a 58% snap share. If that number grows again this week, he should continue to progress and remain one of the focuses of the Dolphins' offense, which is now operating without Tyreek Hill (knee), leaving targets available from Tua Tagovailoa. Tua has looked Waller's way often and had great success, so Waller is the TE8 this week in RotoBaller's rankings and can be a very solid starter in standard-sized leagues.

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.