TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 15 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 15 at Los Angeles Chargers
Even with the recent emergence of Chig Okonkwo, Austin Hooper still managed five catches for 68 yards in Week 14 against Jacksonville. Hooper still has a role in the Titans' offense, but the team's run-heavy tendencies and Okonkwo's increased playing time in recent games makes Hooper a volatile fantasy producer. This week the Titans face off with the Chargers, who are roughly average at defending opposing tight ends. Hooper's floor remains low, but he looks like a decent TE2 given his recent role in the offense.

Thursday, December 15, 2022 - 12:04pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 14 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 14 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Austin Hooper's playing time took a hit in Week 13 to the benefit of rookie Chigoziem Okonkwo. Hooper only played 41% of the team's offensive snaps and caught three of his five targets for 22 scoreless yards. Hooper has not been much of a fantasy asset this season, and the recent emergence of Okonkwo is not helping his cause. Hooper is not a viable fantasy starter right now.

Thursday, December 8, 2022 - 12:59pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 13 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 13 at Philadelphia Eagles
Austin Hooper crashed back to Earth in Week 12 with a 3-30-0 line on four targets. Hooper's two-touchdown explosion in Week 11 was an aberration rather than something to expect moving forward, and will probably end up being Hooper's best game of the season by far. A matchup with a Philadelphia defense that is above average against opposing tight ends doesn't help Hooper's cause this week. Hooper is still waiver wire material despite a good showing two weeks ago.

Thursday, December 1, 2022 - 3:30pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 12 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 12 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Austin Hooper finished as Week 11's TE3 by catching all four of his targets for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Before Week 11, Hooper hadn't finished better than the weekly TE14 on the season. It should be noted that Hooper's two best games of the season have come in the last two weeks, but we still need to see more before declaring him a legitimate starting option in fantasy leagues.

Friday, November 25, 2022 - 2:37pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 11 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 11 at Green Bay Packers
Austin Hooper showed some small signs of life with a 5-41-0 line in Week 10 against the Broncos' strong defense. Still, Hooper is an ancillary option in a low-volume and non-explosive passing attack. He has a bottomless floor and is nothing more than a middling TE2 in fantasy leagues.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 11:41am
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 2 at Buffalo Bills
Austin Hooper was out-targeted by Geoff Swaim (4-to-2) and finished with a single catch for six yards in Week 1 against the Giants. As an ancillary option in a low-volume passing offense, Hooper is not worthy of starting in fantasy leagues.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 - 5:52pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 vs. New York Giants
The Giants defense notched a mediocre finish in fantasy points allowed to opposing TEs last year, but Austin Hooper's issues with achieving fantasy relevance stem more from an uncertain role on a low-volume passing team than matchup concerns. The Titans are a dedicated run-first team on the back of Derrick Henry, meaning there is a relatively low amount of targets to go around in the first place, and Hooper will likely be no higher than third in the pecking order for Ryan Tannehill's passes. Hooper is best left on waivers in most leagues, and even in deeper formats he's no better than a TE2.

Thursday, September 8, 2022 - 4:48pm
TEN TE Austin Hooper - 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook

2022 Fantasy Upside
Austin Hooper is coming off a pedestrian season in Cleveland where he managed to catch only 38 balls for 345 yards and three touchdowns over 16 games. Hooper posted a mere 5.7 yards per target in 2021, the lowest number of his career. The good news for Hooper is he is now in Tennessee where he should be the primary pass catching tight end in an offense in need of playmaking following the departure of A.J. Brown via trade. Hooper's time in Atlanta established him as a solid pass catcher, and the hope is a change of scenery will revive his offensive abilities now that he's paired with Ryan Tannehill. With only Geoff Swaim behind him on the depth chart and the Titans' wideouts being 30-year-old Robert Woods and rookie Treylon Burks, Hooper should get more opportunity in 2022 than he ever did in Cleveland.

2022 Fantasy Downside
Hooper has never been a particularly explosive player, meaning he requires significant volume to return any fantasy value. Nothing on Hooper's statistical profile jumps off the page from an efficiency standpoint aside from the fact that he rarely drops passes. The Titans employ a run-first offense with Derrick Henry leading the way, and that could be emphasized more than ever this season without a downfield threat like Brown in the lineup. Hooper's limitations as a player and the questions surrounding how the Titans offense will look with all its personnel changes render Hooper a low-ceiling TE2 for fantasy purposes.

2022 Bottom Line
It is certainly possible Hooper expands on his statistical production from Cleveland this season. With the Browns, Hooper had to compete in a crowded tight end room which will not be an issue in Tennessee. However, the Titans offense does not look like much of an upgrade over the Browns under current circumstances, and Hooper's inability to turn receptions into long gains means he will be touchdown dependent in fantasy leagues and only worthy of TE2 consideration.

Thursday, July 14, 2022 - 4:22pm
CLE TE Austin Hooper - Week 14 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 14 vs. Ravens

Austin Hooper immediately becomes a viable streamer with David Njoku likely out for this game with COVID-19. Hooper takes on a Ravens defense that ranks 18th in Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points per game, so this is an exploitable matchup. However, I would temper your expectations given Hooper's mediocre season-long production.

Friday, December 10, 2021 - 10:59am
CLE TE Austin Hooper - Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 5 at Chargers

Hooper has finished as TE29, TE17, TE13, and TE49 this season, demonstrating his limited upside and low floor in this run-heavy offense with two other capable tight ends in David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. Hooper is playing on 66% of the snaps with a middling 14.8% target share. You can do better if you're trying to stream at tight end.

Hooper goes up against a Chargers defense that ranks 9th in aFPA to tight ends. When you consider that this defense's strength is against the pass (4th in rush DVOA) while struggling to stop the run (25th in rush DVOA), it's hard to see this as the game that Hooper has a spike week. I'd avoid him in this spot.

Friday, October 8, 2021 - 10:21am

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