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USATSI

On one hand, the Taysom Hill story is pretty awesome. He was a college quarterback who went undrafted, scored his first NFL touchdown at 28 years old, and somehow matters in Fantasy Football as a 34-year-old hybrid tight end who also runs the wildcat, plays special teams, and occasionally even throws the ball. On the other hand, it's kind of a nightmare as a Fantasy analyst, especially when the Saints cannot decide how they want to list them on their roster.

This year, they decided less than a week before the start of the season to change his official position from quarterback to tight end. We followed suit at CBS Fantasy, and Hill suddenly became relevant. His 9.1 PPR FPPG last year wasn't even halfway to starting QB production in Fantasy, but it was good enough for TE15 because the position is a dumpster fire after the top seven or eight. While we hope the position is better this year, there's a chance Hill matters. So let's talk about him.

In Week 1, Hill does not project as a starter for me in any format, but he's closest in non-PPR. That's because while he is listed as a tight end, he only had four games last year with more than two catches. As a rule, you need to get to 10 PPR Fantasy points to be considered a starter in a given week in full PPR, Hill did that in seven of 16 games last year. In non-PPR, six Fantasy points can make you a starter at tight end. Hill is more likely to reach that mark. 

Two other things are worth noting. One, Hill's primary value comes as a rusher, and at 34 years old, we have every reason to expect him to drop off a cliff at any moment. Two, the Saints changed offensive coordinators, and it's quite possible Klint Kubiak employs Hill differently than Pete Carmichael did. 

None of that is to say that you shouldn't roster Hill. He's currently available in 73% of CBS leagues, and I think he should be rostered in more than half of leagues as a tight end. His 7% start percentage seems about right to me, just because most leagues reward points for catches and I'm not sure Hill will have a big role in the passing game. But it is worth holding him this week to see.

Hill's best rushing game of the 2023 season came in Week 2 against the Panthers. He ran the ball nine times for 75 yards. Unfortunately, he didn't reach the end zone, and only scored 8.7 points in full PPR leagues. If that doesn't describe the Taysom Hill experience I don't know what does.