Should I start T.J. Hockenson or Darren Waller in Week 8?

The market-based projections

T.J. Hockenson's market-based projection is 10.0 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 8 market sources. That is the 17th highest figure of the 177 players with a market-based projection.

Darren Waller's market-based projection is 5.9 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 13 market sources. That is the 23rd highest figure of the 177 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 24th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Darren Waller, and the board ranks him 33rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season through Week 7

Through Week 7, T.J. Hockenson has been on the field for 60 percent of MIN snaps, drawn 21 percent of the targets and had 18 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 11 of the offence's 59 third down targets, had 1 of its 3 chances inside the five and seen 3 of its 14 two minute targets.

His 32 targets have averaged 6.8 air yards.

In Week 4 against MIA he caught 13 of 13 targets for 119 yards and did not score.

In Week 5 against NO he caught 1 of 1 target for 7 yards and did not score.

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

Through Week 7, Darren Waller has been on the field for 46 percent of CAR snaps, drawn 11 percent of the targets and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 7 of the offence's 43 third down targets, had 0 of its 12 chances inside the five and seen 7 of its 30 two minute targets.

His 23 targets have averaged 10.0 air yards.

In Week 4 against DET he caught 3 of 6 targets for 36 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against PHI he caught 0 of 2 targets for 0 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against TB he caught 1 of 2 targets for 50 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

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 Darren Waller played 9 games and scored 88.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing TE33.

He caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets.

That came to 3.8 targets a game, a 71 percent catch rate and 11.8 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 45 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

T.J. Hockenson was available for 6 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Darren Waller scored 9.9 PPR points a game and T.J. Hockenson 7.5, 2.3 a game between them.

T.J. Hockenson finished TE26 that year and Darren Waller TE33.

T.J. Hockenson had 32 more targets than Darren Waller, 66 to 34.

T.J. Hockenson had 155 more receiving yards than Darren Waller, 438 to 283.

This season T.J. Hockenson holds the bigger snap share, 60 percent against 46 percent.

This season T.J. Hockenson holds the bigger target share, 21 percent against 11 percent.

Byes and availability

T.J. Hockenson is off in Week 6 and Darren Waller in Week 5, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

4.1 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.