New Orleans Saints TE Taysom Hill has been a sore subject for fantasy football commissioners over the past few years.
His TE designation has helped generate a top-10 fantasy finish at the position in PPR formats in two out of the past three years, despite never catching more than nine passes in a season during that span. Is he a potential top-10 TE again in 2023?
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Taysom Hill’s 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Hill has been one of the most fascinating studies in fantasy football over the span of his NFL career.
His impact in PPR formats has been somewhat limited because he caught just nine passes last season, but despite his lack of involvement as a pass catcher, he still finished as the TE9 in PPR formats. How did this happen?
Well, when you run the ball 96 times and throw the ball 19 times, your path to generating fantasy points is drastically more versatile than any other TE in the league.
He personally registered nine TDs and threw for an additional two scores last year.
His 28.7 fantasy points from his receiving production accounted for just 19.4% of his total fantasy points scored in 2022.
Do you know where Hill would’ve finished at the TE position in PPR formats if we just used his receiving production? The TE66 behind Jody Fortson.
The problem is 80.6% of the fantasy points that led to his TE9 overall finish in PPR formats came from his rushing and passing production.
Are you starting to see why he is a complete cheat code?
Don’t even get me started about his TE tag in standard/non-PPR formats. He has three straight top-five finishes at the TE position there!
Could Hill have a more defined role strictly as a pass catcher with a more stable QB situation in 2023?
Derek Carr ➡️ Taysom Hill pic.twitter.com/1DjI2fwMoN
— Boot Krewe Media (@BootKreweMedia) August 9, 2023
Sure, it’s possible. However, if he has gotten QBs like Drew Brees off the football field in the past, then I don’t see why Derek Carr would be immune to losing some snaps to Hill at QB this season.
Should You Draft Taysom Hill at His Current ADP?
Hill continues to be one of the most maddening players in all of fantasy football.
He is the poster boy for “boom or bust” options in fantasy. Last season he logged five finishes outside of the top 37 at the TE position in PPR formats, which means he essentially gave you nothing.
But he managed to finish inside the top five at the position on three different occasions, which included a TE1 finish in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, where he did not catch a single pass.
It feels kind of gross to select him so late in non-PPR drafts, knowing he is a glitch in the fantasy matrix that benefits you unfairly, but his position designation dictates where you can play him in your league. This loophole is not your fault, but it is your job to use it to your advantage.
Hill is one of the few players for me that sees a drastic bump in the rankings depending on the format.
In PPR leagues, he is outside of my top 15. In standard leagues, he is inside my top 10. He is a great late-round selection in Best Ball formats, so you don’t have to worry about his dud performances and can simply reap the benefits of his explosive games if you pair him with a consistent, complementary option at the TE position.
His current redraft ADP is 179 overall as the TE18 off the board. At that price, he is 100% worth the draft day investment of a 17th-round pick, but good luck trying to figure out when his big games are going to come.