Gadsden
TE · LAC vs SEA
Proj pts
5.8pts
opportunity
Hooper
TE · ATL vs NO
Proj pts
5.6pts
market
Austin Hooper or Oronde Gadsden II: who should I start in Week 4?
Toss-up: lean Oronde Gadsden II over Austin Hooper by 0.2. Oronde Gadsden II leads at 5.8. Austin Hooper is the first one out, 0.2 short.
Highlights
Cons
- Low team total17.8 team total
- Rotational role63% of snaps
Cons
- Low TE usage7% target share
- Thin volume2.0 targets/g
Some recent form, opportunity and matchup figures still lean on the 2025 season (not enough games played this season yet).
Week 4 · Updated Tue 29 Sep, 6:00 AM ET
The widest gap between them, in proportion, is red zone targets: Gadsden 15, Hooper 5.
Latest game on the card: Gadsden 0 (PPR points).
Why Oronde Gadsden II
Start Oronde Gadsden II — projects 5.8, an even matchup vs SEA.
Oronde Gadsden II projects 5.8 points on a 2.8–10.0 range. The matchup grades as neutral against SEA. Usage: targets / game at 4.6. Net: start Oronde Gadsden II this week.
Working against Gadsden: Low team total (17.8 team total), Rotational role (63% of snaps).
Where Gadsden leads the head-to-head: Projection (5.8 vs 5.6); Ceiling (10.0 vs 7.5); Target share (14% vs 7%); Matchup grade (recency weighted) (B vs C); Targets / game (4.6 vs 2.0); Snap share (63% vs 52%); Red zone targets (15 vs 5).
Why Austin Hooper
Sit Austin Hooper — projects 5.6, an even matchup vs NO.
Austin Hooper projects 5.6 points on a 3.2–7.5 range. The matchup grades as neutral against NO. Usage: targets / game at 2.0. Net: bench Austin Hooper this week.
Working against Hooper: Low TE usage (7% target share), Thin volume (2.0 targets/g).
Where Hooper leads the head-to-head: Floor (3.2 vs 2.8); Implied team total (22.8 vs 17.8); Last 3 avg (6.5 vs 5.0); Last 5 avg (6.5 vs 6.3); vs season (+1.2 vs +0.8); Consistency (41% vs 17%); Boom rate (15% vs 13%); Bust rate (23% vs 47%); Touchdown dependence (20% vs 14%).
Recent form
Oronde Gadsden II's last 5 games: PPR points 12.2, 4.3, 5.2, 9.8, 0 (oldest to newest).
Austin Hooper's last 2 games: PPR points 4, 9.1 (low to high; the card does not say which came first).
Gadsden has already beaten Hooper's 5.6 projection in 2 of his 5; Hooper has beaten Gadsden's 5.8 in 1 of his 2.
At least 1 of these 5 games was played before the 2026 season.
Matchup
Oronde Gadsden II (LAC) faces SEA, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 4:25 PM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 17.8, spread +7.0.
Austin Hooper (ATL) faces NO, kickoff Mon, Oct 5, 8:15 PM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 22.8, spread +3.0.
What flips it
Gadsden's edge is 0.2 points (5.8 to 5.6). Hooper's ceiling (7.5) clears Gadsden's projection, so a big game from Hooper flips it. Gadsden's floor (2.8) sits under Hooper's projection, so a quiet game from Gadsden flips it too. Confidence in the call: lower.
More start/sit comparisons from this week's PPR projections. Open a pair for the call and the reasoning.
This week's toughest calls
- Colston Loveland or Hunter Henry11.3 · 11.2
- Juwan Johnson or Tucker Kraft12.3 · 12.2
- AJ Barner or Hunter Henry11.2 · 11.2
- Isaiah Likely or Tucker Kraft12.2 · 12.2
- Brenton Strange or Colston Loveland11.4 · 11.3
- AJ Barner or Colston Loveland11.2 · 11.3
- More TE start/sit calls (tight ends this week)