New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas continues to face significant competition within his own position group. Ahead of Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Douglas faces an uphill battle to handle the workload necessary to produce in fantasy football. Douglas has already tied his career-high of three touchdowns this year, but he is behind his 2024 pace in targets, catches, and receiving yards. In fact, he's averaging only 2.1 catches and 30.2 yards per game, and he has surpassed 45 yards in just two different weeks. The 24-year-old has slipped down the pecking order this season after New England brought in Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams. Meanwhile, Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) has taken on a larger role as a playmaker. While Douglas can still hold his own as a receiver, he has failed to separate himself from the rest of his teammates. As a result, he has a lower fantasy ceiling and remains off the radar in leagues with 14 or fewer teams.

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee has started to see his role slip away, coinciding with the emergence of rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson and veteran Colby Parkinson. Higbee caught just one of two targets for 23 yards last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. He played only 39 percent of the offensive snaps, but this was partly due to an ankle injury sidelining him for a portion of a contest. Nevertheless, even if he were fully healthy, Higbee likely wouldn't have seen enough usage to achieve fantasy relevance. He's losing key opportunities to Ferguson, who had 117 yards in three games from Week 7 to 10, and Parkinson, who scored in back-to-back games while playing roughly two-thirds of the snaps. As long as Higbee is vying for targets with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and several impactful tight ends, he'll be tough to trust in fantasy football. He can be left on waivers going forward, ranking outside the top 24 options at his position.

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson has scored both of his touchdowns on the season in the last two weeks, compiling six catches for 55 yards on seven targets and one score in each game. Parkinson, interestingly, played a season high in snap share and tied star wideout Puka Nacua at 68% in their Week 11 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The spike in playing time was partly caused by Tyler Higbee leaving late in the third quarter with an ankle injury. The three highest snap shares of the season for the 26-year-old Parkinson have come in the past three weeks after the Rams' Week 8 bye. It has been a part of the Rams' transition to use more 13 personnel, and Parkinson has played the most of any Rams tight end during this span. Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson generates most of the buzz for Rams tight end due to his second-round draft capital and freak athleticism, but Parkinson has been playing the most and could have TE2 streaming value if Higbee were to miss time.