Fantasy Upside
Austin Hooper showed flashes as a rookie, catching 19 passes for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns after he was targeted 27 times. He finished as fantasy’s TE33 but he has a chance to get into the TE10–15 range in 2017. Hooper is the clear No. 1 tight end in Atlanta now that Jacob Tamme is gone. No other tight end on Atlanta’s depth chart matches Hooper’s skill set. He has good hands, good speed, good size, and plays in a perfect situation given he’s the starting tight end in a dynamic offense. Hooper is a true deep sleeper heading into the season.
Fantasy Downside
Aside from the fact the Falcons offense could regress due to the absence of playcaller Kyle Shanahan (now the head coach in San Francisco), Hooper also plays in a system featuring Julio Jones. Did we mention Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Devonta Freeman, and Tevin Coleman need to be fed as well? Hooper scored a couple of times last season when defenses forgot about him, but otherwise, he’s the fourth or fifth option in this offense.
2017 Bottom Line
Hooper’s current ADP for 10-team leagues is 15.02. Given his sleeper status, he’s worth a late-round flier as a potential fantasy sleeper. He’s not one of the top options in the Falcons’ dynamic offense but there are enough targets to go around in the team’s pass-happy system. With Tamme gone and Levine Toilolo entrenched as a blocker, Hooper is the clear-cut starter in an offense that has room for a pass-catching tight end.
Super Bowl vs. New England
Austin Hooper caught both of his targets for 23 yards in the Falcons' 44-21 win over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The tight end has now caught three passes for 33 yards in the playoffs, and while he isn't used much in Atlanta's explosive offense, he is the Falcons' tight end to own in DFS play. He ranks behind only New England's Martellus Bennett as our TE2 for Super Bowl Sunday.
NFC Championship vs. Green Bay
Austin Hooper caught his lone reception for 10 yards in the Falcons' win over the Seahawks in the Divisional round last Saturday. It was Hooper's first game back since December 18, when he suffered an injury against the 49ers. With Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel on the outside, the Falcons don't use their tight ends much. That said, if you want to stack your DFS roster with big names at QB, RB and WR, Hooper isn't a bad dart throw at tight end. He ranks as our TE4 for the Falcons' matchup against the Packers on Sunday.
Week 15 vs. San Francisco
Austin Hooper caught one pass for five yards in the Falcons' Week 14 win over the Rams. He was targeted just three times and has seen just eight targets over his last four games. Ranked as our TE32 for Week 15, Hooper is off the fantasy radar.
Week 14 at Los Angeles
Austin Hooper failed to record a catch in the Falcons' Week 13 loss to the Chiefs. Atlanta's last two opponents were Arizona and Kansas City, who are both tough on fantasy tight ends. That said, we don't see Hooper having a resurgence any time soon. He ranks as our TE34 for Week 14 and has officially fallen off the fantasy radar.
Week 13 vs. Kansas City
Austin Hooper caught both of his targets for eight yards in the Falcons' Week 12 win over the Cardinals. Arizona has the best defense against fantasy tight ends, so it's not surprising Hooper had a quiet day. Kansas City, Atlanta's opponent on Sunday, have also been stingy against fantasy tight ends this season, ranking ninth in the league in that category. Hooper ranks as our TE22 for Week 13 and should be avoided for Sunday. Cameron Brate, Antonio Gates, Vance McDonald, Lance Kendricks and Dennis Pitta could be available on your waiver wire if you're looking for a TE streamer.
Week 12 vs. Arizona
After scoring his second career touchdown in a Week 9 victory over the Bucs, Austin Hooper caught just one pass for eight yards in the Falcons' loss to the Eagles in Week 10. Hooper once again drew the start for the injured Jacob Tamme but was targeted just three times in a game where Atlanta's explosive offense was kept on the sidelines for long stretches thanks to Philly's ball-control style. With Tamme out for the season, Hooper will continue to start at tight end for the Falcons but he has a bad matchup on Sunday versus Arizona. The Cardinals rank No. 1 against fantasy tight ends this year so it's best to stay away from Hooper, who ranks as our TE22 for Week 12. That said, if you're desperate, Hooper does have some streaming appeal.
Week 10 at Philadelphia
Austin Hooper caught three-of-six targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 9 win over the Buccaneers. DFS and owners that used Hooper as a streaming option last week had to rejoice when Hooper caught the fourth and final touchdown of Matt Ryan’s outstanding night. The rookie tight end was headed for a dud performance until the Falcons utilized a pick play at the goal line to free Hooper up for a short touchdown in the fourth quarter.
With Jacob Tamme expected to be sidelined again this week with a shoulder injury, Hooper will draw another start. On Sunday the Falcons visit the Eagles, who rank as fantasy’s No. 4 defense against tight ends. Given the difficulty of the matchup, Hooper ranks as our TE18 and should be avoided if owners have better options.
Week 9 at Tampa Bay
Austin Hooper caught all five of his targets for 41 yards in the Falcons Week 8 win over the Packers, after he wound up playing 73 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps when Jacob Tamme went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter. The rookie is a big target for Matt Ryan, and Kyle Shanahan hasn't avoided making Hooper a part of the game plan in week's past. With Tamme already ruled out for Week 9, Hooper is our TE17 and could be a sneaky start for the Falcons Thursday night game against the Bucs. He might not have a huge game, but if you're in need of a streaming option, he could draw 5-8 targets as a starter.
