Week 11 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
After seeing an uptick in volume in recent games, Austin Hooper crashed back to earth in Week 10 when he only registered one catch on two targets against the Texans in a wind-affected game. In more mild weather, Hooper has some reasons for optimism as he should be called on to fill in some of the gap left by Odell Beckham's absence. Hooper is still playing a ton of snaps and the Eagles have struggled to defend tight ends at times this season. Hooper is well worth a look as a streaming option in Week 11 given the shallow nature of his position.
Week 10 vs. Houston Texans
Austin Hooper's usage had been ramping up in the weeks before he had to have an appendectomy and missed time. Now Odell Beckham is out for the year, a development that should increase Hooper's target share even further. The Texans' defense is not good against tight ends, meaning Hooper should be a solid high-floor play, even if he does not carry much upside. Stream Hooper or start him as a high-end TE2 in Week 10.
Week 7 at Cincinnati Bengals
Austin Hooper has seen a resurgence in usage the last three weeks after starting off the year as a fantasy afterthought. Hooper has secured 23 targets over the last three weeks and caught five balls in each of those games. He still is not posting big yardage totals as Hooper is a low-aDOT player and lacks explosive run-after-catch ability. He also only has one touchdown on the season. That being said, Hooper's increased volume in recent games has put him back on the radar as a low-end TE1, especially when fantasy managers are dealing with injuries and bye week dilemmas at this point in the season.
Week 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Austin Hooper was dead in the water until the last two weeks, when he has received seven and ten targets in back-to-back games. Hooper has not exactly set the league on fire with yardage totals of 57 and 34, but he did catch a touchdown last week and increased volume is crucial for him as he is not an explosive player who will break long gains or touchdowns. That being said, the tight end landscape across fantasy football is desolate outside of a couple elite options, so a guy getting 17 targets over two weeks demands attention at the position. Hooper gets a touch matchup against the Pittsburgh secondary this week, but he is back on the low-end TE1 radar with his increased volume in recent games.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 4 was by far the most promising fantasy performance Hooper has had this season. He attracted seven targets and caught five, finishing with 34 yards and a touchdown. The uptick in usage is nice to see, but the box score also shows Hooper's extremely low floor. Even on a day when he caught five passes, Hooper only managed 34 yards and had to salvage his day with a touchdown. Experienced fantasy players know touchdowns are volatile and extremely difficult to predict, so counting on Hooper to get in the endzone every week is not a winning proposition. Hooper is a borderline TE1/TE2 in most leagues for Week 5.
Week 4 at Dallas Cowboys
Austin Hooper has posted yardage totals of 15, 22 and 25 in Cleveland's first three games on seven total receptions. Hooper's primary role on the run-heavy Browns is to block for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, making Hooper unstartable in single tight end leagues. Hooper may be viable as a TE2, but even in those deeper formats you can probably find someone with more upside.
Week 3 vs. Washington Football Team
Austin Hooper failed to make an impact again in Week 2 as he only saw four targets from Baker Mayfield, catching two for 22 yards. Hooper only has four catches through the first two weeks of the season and does not appear to be a big part of the Cleveland passing game. Now Hooper will face off with the Washington Football Team who boast a good front seven and excellent pass rush. Hooper will likely be needed as a blocker this week and barely gets any looks in the passing game as is. Hooper is a TE2 until further notice.
Week 2 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 1 was alarming for Austin Hooper. He only attracted two targets and gained a total of 15 yards. The Browns used multiple tight ends with frequency as was expected, but David Njoku proved to be an issue for Hooper as he attracted three targets and gained 50 yards to go along with a touchdown. Hooper is not an explosive player, meaning he relies heavily on volume for fantasy relevance. He can still be started in Week 2 to see if his volume ticks up, but if Week 1's timeshare continues, Hooper will have a tough time returning TE1 value this season.
Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Austin Hooper's Week 1 matchup is one of the toughest he'll face all year, getting a Ravens defense that only allowed two tight ends to finish in the weekly top 10 last season. Hooper relies heavily on volume to be fantasy relevant and it's possible he will get enough to be worth starting with the Browns projected to be playing from behind. However, Hooper's lack of explosiveness and tough matchup make him a risky TE1 for Week 1. He can be started as a solid TE2 based on his role and projected volume.
Fantasy Upside
Austin Hooper moves from Atlanta to Cleveland for 2020, joining Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, and David Njoku in a talented but inconsistent passing game. Hooper established himself as a reliable possession receiver in Atlanta. He served as a safety blanket for former quarterback Matt Ryan and will likely fill a similar role for Mayfield. The Browns clearly have a high opinion of Hooper as they made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL this offseason. The capital invested into Hooper suggests he will be a consistent part of the passing game and he should have a solid weekly floor moving the chains when Mayfield has to check down. One reason to be optimistic about Hooper is Cleveland's new coaching staff. The one area Mayfield excelled in last season was passing out of sets utilizing multiple tight ends. Mayfield threw for nine yards per attempt out of 12 personnel in 2019, good for third-best in the NFL. New Head Coach Kevin Stefanski utilized 12 personnel on a whopping 34% of the Vikings' offensive snaps last season, second-most in the league. If Stefanski continues to heavily utilize sets with multiple tight ends, it should suit Mayfield's strengths and all of Cleveland's pass catchers, including Hooper, should stand to benefit.
Fantasy Downside
What Hooper provides in stability he lacks in explosiveness. While Hooper finished fifth among all tight ends in receptions last season, he only posted 10.5 yards per reception, good for a mediocre 22nd in the league. Translation? Hooper should catch plenty of passes, but big yardage and touchdown totals are likely outside his range of outcomes. He could also see a reduction in targets moving from pass-happy Atlanta to the more run-oriented Browns, particularly when Hooper will be competing with receivers of the quality of Beckham and Landry for Mayfield’s attention. Finally, Hooper will still share the tight end depth chart with David Njoku, who has disappointed as a pass catcher to this point but profiles as a more explosive option if he ever were to put the pieces together.
2020 Bottom Line
Hooper is a classic “high-floor/low-ceiling” pick to fill the tight end slot. He should provide a weekly floor, especially in PPR leagues, but do not expect huge weeks where Hooper leads your team to victory. He should be treated as a low-end TE1 and is a reasonable pick once the higher upside tight ends are off the board.
