5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 12
Scouting Report. Cleveland Browns. 2. Pick Analysis. TE. Austin Hooper. player. 53
ESPN rosters: 63.2%
Yahoo rosters: 67%
Usually, this list rarely features tight ends, let alone two. Although, this week that is where the matchups seem to carry the most potential.
Like Mike Gesicki’s situation with Tua Tagovailoa, Austin Hooper seems to be a safety net for Baker Mayfield. Especially now with Odell Beckham Jr. out the remainder of the season.
Hooper was rounding into form before he had to miss a few weeks due to health concerns. Before that, he had racked up 143 yards with 15 receptions on 23 targets with one touchdown from Weeks 4 to Week 6.
In Week 10, Hooper returned to the Browns when the team played the Houston Texans in what turned into a ground and pound game, as the Browns won narrowly by a score of 10-7. In that contest, he had one reception for 11 yards on two targets.
It should have been expected that Hooper would slowly work his way back into action. Also, it is unfair to judge him based on that Week 10 tilt due to the weather conditions. However, in Week 12, he could re-establish himself against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars have been one of the worst defenses against opposing tight ends in 2020. Mayfield and the Browns run the offense primarily through the team’s two star running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Without Beckham, deep shots are less likely. So, play action and most pass attempts will look to go in between the numbers and this is where Hooper’s value is.
This season has been one to forget so far for Hooper, but he can find his form against the Jaguars in Week 12 to try and round the campaign out well for the rest of the slate. He could see a lot of targets. More importantly, he could see redzone targets.