Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Austin Hooper

Wednesday, December 10, 9:49 AM

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that tight end Zach Ertz (knee) has officially been placed on the Injured Reserve on Wednesday with a knee injury. Ertz will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an ACL tear during Washington's 31-0 loss to the Vikings in Week 14. The hit looked brutal, and emotions were high as the Commanders saw him get carted off the field. At 35 years old, we will see what the future holds for the 2018 Super Bowl Winner and three-time Pro Bowler, Ertz. On the season, he had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns (72 targets) across 13 regular-season appearances. Second-year player out of Kansas State, Ben Sinnott, is likely to step into a larger role with Ertz being done for the season, and should be on the fantasy radar in deeper formats.

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.