Start T.J. Hockenson or Brock Bowers? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Brock Bowers over T.J. Hockenson in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Brock Bowers at 17.8 points and T.J. Hockenson at 9.9, a gap of 7.9. No player market is posted for Brock Bowers this week yet, so his 17.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (17.2, 19.0 and 17.2); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Brock Bowers at ADP 49 and T.J. Hockenson at 224.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Brock Bowers yet. His market-based projections were 17.2, 19.0 and 17.2 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 17.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Brock Bowers is 0.6 touchdowns (6 market sources).

Player markets imply 9.9 fantasy points for T.J. Hockenson, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for T.J. Hockenson is 37 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (10, 8 and 12 market sources).

That puts Brock Bowers 7.9 points ahead of T.J. Hockenson on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Brock Bowers and LV visit NYJ on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

NYJ allowed 10.4 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 48 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against NYJ.

T.J. Hockenson and MIN visit DET on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DET allowed 29.4 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 100 yards and 1.7 touchdowns a game against DET.

By points allowed to the position, T.J. Hockenson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Brock Bowers is not on the injury report.

T.J. Hockenson is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Brock Bowers played 83 percent of LV snaps, drew 26 percent of the targets, earned 32 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Brock Bowers, Week 4 against KC: 69 of 84 snaps, 11 targets and 6 catches for 86 yards, 1 touchdown.

Brock Bowers, Week 5 against NE: 42 of 60 snaps, 10 targets and 8 catches for 110 yards, 1 touchdown.

Brock Bowers, Week 6 against BUF: 65 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 4 catches for 70 yards.

Brock Bowers, Week 7 against LAR: 57 of 68 snaps, 8 targets and 6 catches for 73 yards.

Through Week 7, T.J. Hockenson played 63 percent of MIN snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 19 percent of the air yards and had 18 percent of the red zone chances.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 3 against TB: 50 of 59 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 11 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 4 against MIA: 65 of 78 snaps, 13 targets and 13 catches for 119 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 5 against NO: 2 of 71 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 7 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 7 against IND: 45 of 59 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 35 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Brock Bowers played 12 games for LV and scored 176.2 PPR points, 14.7 a game, finishing TE11.

He caught 64 of 86 targets for 680 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets and 375 air yards.

He was on the field for 85 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, T.J. Hockenson played 15 games for MIN 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 and 224 air yards.

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

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Brock Bowers over Colston Loveland.
• Start Brock Bowers over Dallas Goedert.
• Start Brock Bowers over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start T.J. Hockenson over Brenton Strange.
• Start T.J. Hockenson over Cade Otton.
• Start Colston Loveland over T.J. Hockenson.