New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill drew his first start of the season against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, suffering a mallet finger injury in that game. He was expected to miss some time, but New Orleans doctors determined he wouldn’t require surgery. Hill’s been playing through the injury, although he’s now dealing with being placed on the COVID-19 list. Will Taysom Hill start against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, and what can fantasy football managers expect from this situation?
Taysom Hill’s 2021 season production
Hill’s seen plenty of ups and downs through only three starts in 2021. He threw for 264 yards with 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in a Thursday night 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in his first game. He added 101 rushing yards on 11 carries in that contest as well.
In Weeks 15 and 16, Hill totaled 329 passing yards without a single touchdown pass or interception. He added 106 rushing yards in those games, as the Saints defeated the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Will Taysom Hill play this week vs. the Dolphins?
Hill’s dealing with multiple injuries at the moment. He’s playing through a foot injury along with suffering a mallet finger in his first start of the season.
The Saints placed Hill on the COVID-19 list on Thursday, though, and he isn’t expected to gain clearance to play tonight. Head coach Sean Payton expects to move forward with rookie Ian Book under center in arguably the most important game of the year for New Orleans as this matchup will have major playoff implications.
Who will benefit from Hill’s absence?
Book will draw his first career start for New Orleans on Monday night. He was a fourth-round pick after compiling 8,948 passing yards with 72 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over 45 games at Notre Dame. Book added 1,517 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground in college.
He wasn’t touted as a great prospect, which showed in his only NFL snaps. He threw for 126 yards without a touchdown and 1 interception in the preseason. Book completed only 9 of 16 pass attempts in that game.
It’s tough to believe anyone truly benefits from Book starting under center. Alvin Kamara will likely be the biggest beneficiary, as the entire offense should run through him in Week 16. He will likely receive all of the red zone touches — Hill stole plenty of his looks while on the field together.
Are fantasy points available for Saints players against the Dolphins?
There are points available to several positions for New Orleans, which makes this game extremely interesting in terms of fantasy football. The Dolphins are allowing the 13th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, ninth-most to wide receivers, and 12th-most to tight ends. They’ve only really found success against running backs in 2021.
Even with the matchup, Book isn’t truly a fantasy option this weekend. He will likely struggle in his first career start. Indeed, it isn’t easy to believe he will support any of his receivers or tight ends.
Although the matchup is difficult, Kamara is the best option. He’ll be the focal point of the offense, and he’ll see plenty of touches. The only player to trust for New Orleans in Week 16 is Kamara.