Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or Austin Hooper

Friday, October 17, 11:19 PM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will face the Las Vegas Raiders at home in Week 7. Kelce caught six passes for 78 yards as he led the Chiefs pass catchers against the Detroit Lions in Week 6. The veteran tight end has strung together back-to-back good games, but that solid production could be coming to an end. Rashee Rice is set to return from suspension in Week 7, which could negatively impact Kelce's offensive contributions. Rice had an outstanding start to the 2024 season, averaging over 20 PPR points per game, but Kelce was not effective during that span. At the beginning of the 2024 season, the Chiefs tight end had eight catches for 69 yards through three games. Kelce and Rice win in the same areas of the field, and the latter is much more explosive at this point. It remains to be seen how the usage will be divided amongst the Chiefs pass catchers, so Kelce should still be a viable starter against Las Vegas this week. The Raiders have allowed the eighth-fewest points to opposing tight ends this season, but that does not mean it will be a bad matchup for Kelce. He can find success against the Raiders if Patrick Mahomes decides to feed him. Kelce is ranked TE8 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a solid TE1 this week.

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.