Start Cade Otton or T.J. Hockenson? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start T.J. Hockenson over Cade Otton in Week 9.

Market-based projections have T.J. Hockenson at 10.3 points and Cade Otton at 8.4, a gap of 1.9. No player market is posted for T.J. Hockenson this week yet, so his 10.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 7 and 8 (10.0 and 10.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Cade Otton this week yet, so his 8.4 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (7.2, 9.5 and 8.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for T.J. Hockenson yet. His market-based projections were 10.0 and 10.6 points in Weeks 7 and 8, an average of 10.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for T.J. Hockenson is 0.4 touchdowns (5 market sources).

No Week 9 player market is posted for Cade Otton yet. His market-based projections were 7.2, 9.5 and 8.6 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 8.4, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts T.J. Hockenson 1.9 points ahead of Cade Otton on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

T.J. Hockenson and MIN host BUF on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

BUF allowed 15.3 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 12th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 78 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against BUF.

Cade Otton and TB visit CHI on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

CHI allowed 13.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 16th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 57 yards and 0.4 touchdowns a game against CHI.

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

Injury status

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

Cade Otton is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, T.J. Hockenson played 63 percent of MIN snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 18 percent of the air yards and had 19 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 8 against DET: 5 targets and 4 catches for 58 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 7, Cade Otton played 94 percent of TB snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Cade Otton, Week 4 against GB: 60 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 37 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 5 against DAL: 66 of 72 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 25 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 6 against PIT: 74 of 74 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 7 against CAR: 56 of 63 snaps, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

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.

In 2025, Cade Otton played 16 games for TB and scored 122.2 PPR points, 7.6 a game, finishing TE22.

He caught 59 of 81 targets for 572 yards and 1 touchdown, with 5 red zone targets and 261 air yards.

He was on the field for 93 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Brenton Strange over T.J. Hockenson.
• Start Colston Loveland over T.J. Hockenson.
• Start Dallas Goedert over T.J. Hockenson.
• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Cade Otton.
• Start Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.