Who Should I Start? Hunter Henry or Austin Hooper

Friday, January 16, 8:57 PM

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry showed up on this week's injury report with a knee injury, but he was ultimately cleared and shouldn't have any limitations in Sunday's Divisional Round matchup against the Houston Texans. Henry finished the regular season as the second-leading receiver for the Patriots with 87 receptions for 768 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns in 17 games. The 31-year-old veteran has developed a nice chemistry with second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Henry has cleared 50 receiving yards in each of the last two games and has scored in three of the last four contests, including last week's Wild-Card win over his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots head into the Divisional Round with a matchup against the top-ranked Texans' defense, though, and could find it difficult to move the ball consistently. The poor matchup makes Henry a midrange TE for fantasy playoff lineups this weekend.

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.