Week 12 at New Orleans Saints
Austin Hooper caught four-of-eight targets for 27 yards in the Falcons’ Week 11 loss to the Cowboys. He’s good for about a drop a game but when Matt Ryan is being harassed like he was by Dallas’ defense, Hooper becomes an outlet in the passing game. With how few good tight end options there are for fantasy owners, Hooper remains a low-end TE1. The Falcons travel to New Orleans on Thursday to play the Saints in a potential shootout so he’s worth a flier in Week 12. He ranks as our TE7.
Week 11 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Austin Hooper caught 10-of-11 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 10 loss to the Browns. His touchdown was all effort and athleticism, as Hooper skied high to catch a Matt Ryan lob on a fourth-down play late in the fourth quarter. He then forced his way into the end zone with the defender draped all over him. Hooper’s fantasy production remains sporadic but he’ll be a low-end TE1 when the Falcons host the Cowboys on Sunday. Given the lack of depth at the position and the fact that Dallas ranks 24th against fantasy tight ends this season, you could do worse than Hooper on Sunday. He ranks as our TE9.
Week 10 at Cleveland Browns
Austin Hooper caught all three of his targets for 41 yards in the Falcons’ Week 9 win over the Redskins. Hooper’s production has been sporadic this season and fantasy owners trying to stream the tight end position will have to live with his inconsistencies. He’s a good athlete and plays in a dynamic passing attack but with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Mohamad Sanu also in the mix, there’s too many mouths to feed in this offense. Nevertheless, Hooper ranks as our TE12 for Sunday when the Falcons travel to Cleveland to plays the Browns. View him as a low-end TE1.
Week 9 at Washington Redskins
Austin Hooper caught three-of-four targets for 48 yards in the Falcons’ Week 7 win over the Giants. Hooper had racked up 18 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown the previous two weeks, but he was back to his usual production against New York. That said, Matt Ryan also threw behind him on what could have been a nice touchdown grab with a defender on his hip pocket. Nevertheless, Hooper remains a low-end TE1 for those in need of a starter at the position. He ranks as our TE9 for Week 9 when the Falcons travel to D.C. to take on a Redskins defense that ranks 13th against fantasy tight ends this year.
Week 7 vs. New York Giants
One week after catching nine passes for 77 yards against the Steelers, Austin Hooper caught another nine passes for 71 yards and a touchdown versus the Bucs last Sunday. In his first four games, Hooper corralled 12 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. In his last two games, Hooper has 18 receptions for 148 yards and a score. While fantasy owners have been burned by the Atlanta tight end in the past, Hooper has emerged as a TE streaming option ahead of the Falcons’ date with the Giants on Monday night. Ranked as our TE8, feel free to start Hooper in Week 7.
Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Austin Hooper caught nine-of-12 targets for 77 yards in the Falcons’ Week 5 loss to the Steelers. The tight end benefited from Matt Ryan being under siege all game, as Hooper turned into Ryan’s outlet. The receptions were a personal best for the fourth-year tight, end and it was the third-most yards of his career. He has another great matchup on Sunday against the Bucs, who rank 31st against opposing tight ends. Ranked as our TE10 for Week 6, Hooper is a solid streaming option if you’re desperate at the position.
Week 5 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Austin Hooper caught 1-of-2 targets for 19 yards in the Falcons’ Week 4 loss to the Bengals. After recording 59 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers in Week 2, Hooper has gone silent again. He has a nice matchup in Week 5 when the Falcons take on a Steelers team that has struggled versus tight ends and with the Vegas over/under sitting at 58 points, a shootout is likely to occur. Still, you’ll be rolling the dice with Hooper if you play him because he has the potential to do what he did last week. Ranked as our TE12 for Week 5, view him as a low-end streaming option if you’re desperate.
Week 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Austin Hooper caught three passes on four targets for 23 yards in the Falcons’ Week 3 loss to the Saints. After catching a touchdown last week in Atlanta’s win over Carolina, Hooper got back to his usual stat line in Week 3. A touchdown-dependent TE2, Hooper should only be used in the most desperate of situations. He’s ranked as our No. 15 TE for Week 4 when the Falcons host the Bengals.
Week 3 vs. New Orleans Saints
Austin Hooper caught all five of his targets for 59 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 2 win over the Panthers. He had a couple of nice catches in the game, including a leaping touchdown grab with a defender in his hip pocket and another on a first down play where he hurled himself in the air and over a defensive back for more yardage. That said, Hooper has done this before where he’s lured fantasy owners into believing he’ll be a reliable starter only to disappoint in future weeks. Ranked as our No. 13 TE for Week 3, Hooper is a low-end streaming option but he’s a boom-or-bust player.
Week 2 vs. Carolina Panthers
Austin Hooper caught 3-of-4 targets for 24 yards in the Falcons’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles. Why Hooper continues to see red zone targets instead of Julio Jones or even Mohamed Sanu is unfathomable but he continues to receive opportunities that he doesn’t deserve. As for his fantasy appeal, if you start Hooper, you can expect the above stat line. It’s basically what he did on a consistent basis a year ago. Avoid him.
