While Sean Peyton has refused to publicly announce a starter at quarterback, multiple reports on Friday have pointed towards Taysom Hill making his first career start under center come Sunday.
Hill has tight end eligibility on some platforms, which is obviously a cheat code at a position desperate for high-end production. However, you likely know this, as he essentially broke the ESPN Fantasy app for a period of time upon word of his reported start.
Yet, while he’s a no-brainer TE play, can you trust Hill as your QB1 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11? Let’s discuss.
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Taysom Hill Fantasy Outlook vs. Falcons
In terms of matchup, a quarterback heading a high-octane offense against the Falcons is typically a no-brainer play. Atlanta surrenders a league-high 26.02 ppg to QBs this season. Four of their last six opponents at the position have scored 20.82-plus points. Furthermore, all but three of their opponents in 2020 have failed to register a multi-TD outing against them.
However, Hill is far from you’re typical play at the position. The 30-year-old possesses his fair share of questions, from how will he look as an every-down signal-caller (something we’ve yet to see from him throughout his career), to will he even be given said opportunity. Jameis Winston manned the majority of the quarterback duties upon Drew Brees’ exit a week ago and one would think he’d see the field in some capacity this weekend.
With that said Hill’s rushing ability could very well ease any qualms owners have of inserting him in their lineups against Atlanta. In a shocking statistic, Hill has actually outgained superstar Alvin Kamara on the ground in each of New Orleans’ past two games, while toting the rock just two times fewer than Kamara. In fact, over the last three games, Hill leads all Saints players in rushing yards with 134. Don’t expect these numbers to be heading south anytime soon, as the Falcons have allowed a total of 77 yards and one rushing TD to the likes of Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater over their last two games.
Speaking of Bridgewater, his production in the Saints offense a year ago may actually be the most favorable argument we have to lean towards Hill this week. From Week 3 through Week 7 of the 2019 season, Bridgewater averaged 17.2 ppg serving as an injury-replacement to Brees, ranking him as the QB12 in fantasy over that span.
Should You Start or Sit Taysom Hill in Week 11?
While we won’t put Hill in the same category as Bridgewater from a passing perspective, his rushing ability should at the very least close the gap between the two from a fantasy production standpoint.
As we noted above, Bridgewater averaged slightly over 17.0 ppg as a starter with the Saints last season. That type of output sounds like a good median projection for Hill this week, which would make him a viable low-end QB1 play. With that said, owners must be aware of the risk he does possess in their lineup, as we are not entirely certain how Peyton and the Saints will handle the duo of Hill and Winston.
Still, his sky-high ceiling due to his potential as a goal-line runner to go along with a dream matchup, makes him likely worth the risk. Expect New Orleans to get creative with Hill in the run game, while allowing him to distribute the ball to his playmakers in the short-to-intermediate passing game.
*Check out our other Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems to further optimize your lineups
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Taysom Hill Fantasy: Start or Sit Saints QB in Week 11?