Is Taysom Hill now worth starting in fantasy football?

New Orleans Saints Quarterrunningtightendback offensive weapon Taysom Hill has recently been reclassified from a QB to a TE for the 2020 fantasy football season in ESPN leagues. As a quarterback, Hill provides little value in fantasy starting lineups as he was the QB33 last season scoring 81.5 PPR points according to ESPN. On the other hand, that total would have made him the 19th highest scoring tight end.

Hill’s scoring output, like most players on the Saints offense, took a dip when Drew Brees was injured, as he now had to be protected as the backup QB. Hill’s scoring jumped from 2.3 PPR points per game with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm to 6.8 points when Brees returned. Using that average over a whole season, Hill would have totaled 108 total PPR points, which would have made him the 11th-highest scoring tight end in all of football.

The good news for Hill’s fantasy prospects are that the Saints brought in Jameis Winston to be the new backup quarterback, and also drafted Tommy Stevens to be the backup Taysom Hill. There should be no concerns about Taysom’s usage rate now if Brees stays healthy and Taysom sees his fair share of snaps.

The bad news is the increased amount of weapons in Brees’s arsenal this season compared to last year. Free agent Emmanuel Sanders and 3rd round draft pick Adam Trautman will likely take a big chunk of the Saints fantasy output for most offensive players after Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. However, Hill is much more experienced in the Saints offense and is also much more versatile than both Sanders and Trautman, so this concern could very well not make a difference in Hill’s scoring.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Taysom Hill’s fantasy production will be based on his ability to find the end zone

Hill’s scoring will ultimately rely on touchdowns, as the most total yards he totaled in a single game last season was only 63. His inconsistency is a major problem for his draft-ability as, even with Brees, he had just as many games with under 2.5 points as he did games with over 10 points.

I would place Hill in the range of TE12-TE20 this season. This wide potential range is based entirely on his consistency. If Brees stays healthy and Hill can get 5-6 touches per game, he could finish as a top 12 tight end. If not, he could be a wasted draft pick.

At the end of the day, Hill’s lack of consistent touches means he shouldn’t be considered a starter in leagues with 14 teams or less. But even in smaller leagues, he could be worth a late round draft pick as bye coverage or a handcuff to Jared Cook assuming your bench is deep enough.

What do you think Taysom’s fantasy value is or should be? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @HaydenReel.