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The Falcons were blessed to get five years of Tony Gonzalez. His retirement appeared to come as a surprise only to the team. His replacement for years was a terrible Levine Toilolo. Last season, the Falcons spent modestly on Jacob Tamme. He had a career-best season (657 receiving yards, 1 touchdown). This season, the team drafted Austin Hooper in the third round.
Should you be drafting either player?
Neither is listed in SBN's top 150 players. They were beat out by guys who may not even start like Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Neither makes the Fantasy Football Calculator's ADP... even in 14 team leagues. What do we say?
Jacob Tamme
Tamme just turned 31. With the additions of Hooper and Mohamed Sanu it seems very unlikely he will see 82 targets again. Even if he had some upside in a PPR league, his one single touchdown is hard to get past. He was able to beat single coverage and secure the football for a short gain. Perhaps like a very poor man's late-career Tony Gonzalez. He won't be making anyone miss and I don't think you will see him in a footrace up the sidelines.
It is tough to fit him into a fantasy football roster. The Fake Football has Tamme as the 37th best tight end, which means you might consider him as a reliable option after a ton of tight end injuries during the bye weeks in your 20-team league that allows tight ends at the flex. Even in worst-case scenarios, you should not be drafting Tamme. He is, at best, a consistent mid-season fill-in you can pick up off waivers.
Tamme is probably set for about 45 receptions, 500 receiving yards, and maybe a touchdown.
Austin Hooper
Hooper is an interesting athlete that looks far behind the rookie curve. In practice he has shown he can be a match-up nightmare but has been invisible throughout the preseason. The list of rookie tight ends that have ever been worth drafting in fantasy football is super short. Tight ends simply don't make a quick impact.
Hooper gets an honorable mention in rookie drafts, as he is typically selected 42nd in dynasty. That sounds fair. He should be worth a look late in rookie drafts or if you are in a bigger keeper league. Tamme is in the last year of his contract and the team has no other pass catching ends. Shanahan typically utilized tight ends pretty heavily in his prior offenses, and if he returns in 2017, Hooper could get rolling as a nice fantasy option.