A look at how Atlanta Falcons tight ends Jacob Tamme and Austin Hooper will fare this season:
Tamme
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 43 receptions, 435 yards, 2 touchdowns
Over or under: The receptions seem right on point. The arrival of receiver Mohamed Sanu as the secondary target behind Julio Jones, as well as the emergence of Justin Hardy as the No. 3 receiver, is likely to take some targets away from Tamme. Last season, Tamme was third on the team in both receptions (59) and targets (79). Tamme was second on the team with 657 receiving yards a year ago, so expect that number to be lower just based on the influx of new receivers. Since Tamme might be somewhat of a forgotten man, it wouldn't be a surprise if he scores more than a pair of touchdowns. He slipped into the end zone a number of times during training camp, although one was whistled out of bounds despite his animated protest.
Hooper
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 28 receptions, 303 yards, 2 touchdowns
Over or under: I could see Hooper catching about 30 passes, which wouldn't be bad at all for a rookie.I also see the Falcons making the most of those targets while utilizing Hooper's ability to catch the ball in traffic in the red zone. The Falcons can go down the middle to Hooper if the safeties leave the middle open. With a single safety, Hooper can be targeted down the seams. He's still got some learning to do, of course, but he was drafted for a purposes, and it wasn't to just go out there and block. Hooper could be a fantasy sleeper as a guy who could step up as top receiver Jones draws attention.
Who else could see time: It's still unclear how many tight ends the Falcons intend to keep, but there were four on the roster at the end of last season. Levine Toilolo, at 6-8, is the tallest of the group but his hands have been suspect. He's carve out more of a niche for himself as a blocker so don't expect much from him in terms of fantasy points. D.J. Tialavea is fighting for a roster spot.
