Should I start T.J. Hockenson or Austin Ekeler in Week 10?

The market-based projections

T.J. Hockenson's market-based projection is 10.3 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 7 market sources. That is the 65th highest figure of the 213 players with a market-based projection.

Austin Ekeler's market-based projection is 6.5 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 14 market sources. That is the 83rd highest figure of the 213 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on T.J. Hockenson, and the board ranks him 67th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Austin Ekeler, and the board ranks him 68th overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season through Week 9

Through Week 9, T.J. Hockenson has been on the field for 65 percent of MIN snaps, drawn 21 percent of the targets and had 18 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 16 of the offence's 75 third down targets, had 1 of its 4 chances inside the five and seen 4 of its 21 two minute targets.

His 44 targets have averaged 7.5 air yards.

In Week 7 against IND he caught 4 of 5 targets for 35 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 8 against DET he caught 4 of 5 targets for 58 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 9 against BUF he caught 4 of 7 targets for 33 yards and did not score.

Through Week 9, Austin Ekeler has been on the field for 25 percent of WAS snaps, taken 21 percent of the carries, drawn 5 percent of the targets and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 0 of the offence's 42 third down targets, had 0 of its 4 chances inside the five and seen 1 of its 24 two minute targets.

His 8 targets have come 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage on average.

In Week 6 against SF he carried 1 time for 3 yards, caught 2 of 2 targets for 4 yards and did not score.

In Week 8 against PHI he carried 8 times for 36 yards and did not score.

In Week 9 against LAR he carried 8 times for 16 yards, caught 2 of 3 targets for 18 yards and did not score.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 T.J. Hockenson played 15 games and scored 112.8 PPR points, 7.5 a game, finishing TE26.

He caught 51 of 66 targets for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets.

That came to 4.4 targets a game, a 77 percent catch rate and 8.6 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 79 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Austin Ekeler played 2 games and scored 13.1 PPR points, 6.6 a game, finishing RB103.

He carried 14 times for 43 yards and 0 touchdowns, and caught 5 of 7 targets for 38 more yards.

That came to 7.0 carries a game at 3.1 yards a carry and 2-3 catches a game.

He was on the field for 50 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

T.J. Hockenson was available for 13 games more.

Side by side

In 2025 T.J. Hockenson scored 7.5 PPR points a game and Austin Ekeler 6.6, 1.0 a game between them.

T.J. Hockenson finished TE26 and Austin Ekeler RB103, which are two different ladders.

T.J. Hockenson is a tight end and Austin Ekeler a running back, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.

Byes and availability

T.J. Hockenson is off in Week 6 and Austin Ekeler in Week 7, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

3.7 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when live drafts hold these two again they can order them differently from the projection, and this page will follow the drafts rather than the market-based projection when they do.