Ertz
TE · PHI vs LA
Proj pts
6.2pts
market
Hooper
TE · ATL vs NO
Proj pts
5.3pts
market
Austin Hooper or Zach Ertz: who should I start in Week 4?
Toss-up: lean Zach Ertz over Austin Hooper by 0.9. Zach Ertz leads at 6.2. Austin Hooper is the first one out, 0.8 short.
Availability & news
Zach Ertz
Ertz reverted to the Eagles' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.(rotowire, Sep 29, 2026)
Highlights
Pros
- Spike upside15.0 ceiling
Cons
- Low team total19.5 team total
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 targets / game: Ertz 5.5, Hooper 2.0.
Ertz: “Ertz reverted to the Eagles' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.” — RotoWire, Sep 29, 2026.
Latest game on the card: Ertz 1.9 (PPR points).
Why Zach Ertz
Start Zach Ertz — projects 6.2, an even matchup vs LA.
Zach Ertz projects 6.2 points on a 5.2–15.0 range. The matchup grades as neutral against LA. Usage: targets / game at 5.5. Net: start Zach Ertz this week.
Working for Ertz: Spike upside (15.0 ceiling).
Working against Ertz: Low team total (19.5 team total).
Where Ertz leads the head-to-head: Projection (6.2 vs 5.3); Floor (5.2 vs 3.2); Ceiling (15.0 vs 7.5); Target share (19% vs 7%); Matchup grade (recency weighted) (C+ vs C); Last 3 avg (8.2 vs 6.5); Last 5 avg (8.4 vs 6.5); Boom rate (23% vs 15%); Bust rate (15% vs 23%); Targets / game (5.5 vs 2.0); Snap share (66% vs 52%); Red zone targets (9 vs 5).
Why Austin Hooper
Sit Austin Hooper — projects 5.3, an even matchup vs NO.
Austin Hooper projects 5.3 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: Implied team total (22.5 vs 19.5); vs season (+1.2 vs -0.2); Touchdown dependence (20% vs 19%); Rest / schedule (11 days rest vs Short week (5d)).
Recent form
Zach Ertz's last 5 games: PPR points 9.4, 8.2, 20.6, 2.1, 1.9 (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).
Ertz has already beaten Hooper's 5.3 projection in 3 of his 5; Hooper has beaten Ertz's 6.2 in 1 of his 2.
At least 1 of these 5 games was played before the 2026 season.
Matchup
Zach Ertz (PHI) faces LA, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 1:00 PM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 19.5, spread +3.5.
Austin Hooper (ATL) faces NO, kickoff Mon, Oct 5, 8:15 PM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 22.5, spread +2.5.
What flips it
Ertz's edge is 0.9 points (6.2 to 5.3). Hooper's ceiling (7.5) clears Ertz's projection, so a big game from Hooper flips it. Ertz's floor (5.2) sits under Hooper's projection, so a quiet game from Ertz flips it too. Confidence in the call: moderate.
More start/sit comparisons from this week's PPR projections. Open a pair for the call and the reasoning.
This week's toughest calls
- Brenton Strange or Colston Loveland11.5 · 11.4
- Mark Andrews or Tucker Kraft12.9 · 13.0
- Dalton Schultz or Kenyon Sadiq13.6 · 13.5
- Sam LaPorta or Travis Kelce14.9 · 15.1
- Harold Fannin Jr. or Tucker Kraft13.2 · 13.0
- AJ Barner or Hunter Henry11.0 · 11.2
- More TE start/sit calls (tight ends this week)