NFL

Fantasy Football: One Breakout Candidate From Every NFL Team

Austan Kas  —  @AustanKas Jul 28th, 2017
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Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Going by the boxes we'd like to see checked -- talent, situation and opportunity -- Austin Hooper looks pretty good, and it's probably why he's gaining steam as a chic breakout pick.

Rookie tight ends typically need some time to acclimate to the pro game, and Hooper was no exception last year, with just 19 catches for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns. But he was a stud by our numbers, granted the sample size is minimal. Among the 46 tight ends to see at least 25 targets last season, Hooper finished second in Reception NEP per target.

So he's got some ability.


His situation is pretty dope, too.

You may have caught wind of it last year, but the Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan blowtorched the league. Ryan led all quarterbacks in Passing NEP per drop back in an MVP campaign, and the Falcons put together one of the best offensive seasons in league history.

We've got two boxes checked. How about that opportunity?

Hooper backed up Jacob Tamme last season, but Tamme is out of town, currently an unsigned free agent. That elevates Hooper to the top of the depth chart. The Falcons showed last year that they were willing to utilize the tight end, especially in vital areas, as Tamme racked up 11 red zone targets in seven games before getting hurt in Week 8.

There's no guarantee Hooper sees the majority of those vacated red zone looks, but when scoring opportunities are up for grabs in an offense this potent, we have to take a look.

Hooper is incredibly cheap -- currently the TE22 -- and fits a lot of what we look for in a breakout candidate.

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