What to do with Austin Hooper in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL playoffs

Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper has seen a vast uptick in production over the last few weeks and into the NFL Playoffs. But should you start him in daily fantasy this week in their matchup with the Cleveland Browns?

Fantasy Football analysis: Browns TE Austin Hooper, $DKSalary

Hooper had an extremely underwhelming start to the season, getting just about 4-5 targets per game and he had just one touchdown until week 12. But over the last month or so of the season, he’s become a favorite target of QB Baker Mayfield.

Hooper has three touchdowns in the last four weeks, bringing his season total up to five. He’s also seen 31 targets in the last three weeks alone, which is nearly more than he had in the first six weeks of the season combined (32). His yardage totals aren’t anything special, with a top mark of 71 yards this season, but for PPR he’s been great down the stretch.

The opposition this week means he’ll probably see a solid number of targets again. Kansas City has the 5th worst defense in the NFL in terms of fantasy points allowed to tight ends.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Given the opponents struggles with tight ends and Hooper’s recent resurgence, start him.