Austin Hooper's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught all three of his targets for 38 yards during Sunday's Week 15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The 30-year-old has emerged as a key contributor within the Patriots' offense, averaging 3.6 catches, 47.6 receiving yards, and 0.4 touchdowns per game over his last five contests. Even in his role as the No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry, Hooper has started to generate some fantasy buzz, ranking as a fringe top-24 option at the position heading into Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught all four of his targets for 42 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Hooper now has a touchdown in each of his last two games. He also has four targets in each of his last four contests, ranking as the overall TE8 during that span (and eight slots ahead of teammate Hunter Henry). The 30-year-old has continued to develop his rapport with rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and he has plenty of momentum heading into the Patriots' bye week. It's tough to trust a backup tight end in fantasy football, but if there's one worth starting, it's Hooper. He'll rank as a mid-to-low fantasy TE2 when the Patriots return to action in Week 15.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught each of his four targets for 59 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 12 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Hooper's biggest play was a 38-yard touchdown reception that would end up being New England's only offensive touchdown of the game. The 30-year-old continues to look like one of the best No. 2 tight ends in the NFL; he remains behind Hunter Henry in the pecking order but has carved out a role for himself, catching at least three passes for the third consecutive week. He'll rank just outside the top 24 fantasy tight ends heading into Week 13 against Indianapolis.

The New England Patriots removed tight end Austin Hooper (neck) from the Week 12 injury report on Thursday, which means he was a full practice participant. Hooper was limited in Wednesday's session but is now ready to roll for a divisional clash this Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Dolphins. The 30-year-old veteran has become more intriguing as a TE2 sleeper play in deeper leagues and DFS contests now that rookie quarterback Drake Maye is leading the offense. However, the fantasy ceiling and floor remain pretty low as he works behind Hunter Henry. Most of Hooper's production has come in the last two games, as he's caught seven of his eight targets for 99 yards and no touchdowns. Hooper's lone score of the season came back in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers back on Sept. 29. He should be on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (neck) was listed as limited on the team's practice report on Wednesday. Hooper apparently picked up a neck injury in the Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the fact that he practiced at all on Wednesday means he has a good shot of playing this Sunday when the team takes on the division-rival Miami Dolphins. The 30-year-old has seen an uptick in production the last two weeks with rookie quarterback Drake Maye now leading the offense -- he's caught seven of eight targets for 99 yards -- although he's still nothing more than a low-end TE2 for fantasy purposes while ceding most of the tight end pass-catching work to Hunter Henry. In his first year in New England, Hooper has just one trip to paydirt and has 23 receptions (34 targets) for 236 yards in 11 games.