Fantasy football news: Why the freak out about about the Taysom Hill?
During the New Orleans Saints game last week against the San Francisco 49ers, veteran quarterback (QB) Drew Brees got injured, reportedly suffering multiple cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. Brees is expected to miss several weeks, leaving either former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting QB Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill to take over at QB.
Friday morning, the Saints announced Hill, who is also a tight end (TE), would be starting over Winston on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Since Hill is eligible as a TE & a QB, some fantasy players have found a loophole allowing them to start Hill in their TE slot, despite starting at QB. Here’s some more information on why Fantasy Football players are freaking out about this.
Why is Hill eligible for two positions?
In the 2018 season, the Saints listed Hill as the third-string QB, which he has been since. However, the Saints have been utilizing Hill in various positions, leading to many media outlets referring to him as the “Human Swiss Army Knife”. The Saints have used him as a QB, TE, wide receiver, and even their primary kick returner.
Hill has been deemed by many to be one of the most versatile players in the NFL. The Saints often put him in for Brees to run special plays like a Wildcat – where the QB simply gets the ball and immediately starts running.
On April 26, ESPN’s Mike Clay announced on Twitter, Hill would be eligible as a TE and flex-option for fantasy football. According to Sporting News, Hill “spent more time lined up in a receiver role than as a quarterback in the 2019 season”. This is the main reason why he is TE eligible, despite being listed as a QB by the Saints.
In Clay’s tweet, he also stated: “We reserve the right to strip TE/Flex and add QB if he takes over as the starter during the 2020 season.” ESPN still has him eligible for both, despite the announcement from the Saints.
ESPN & FanDuel keep Hill as both positions
While Hill is listed as both a QB & TE on ESPN & FanDuel, every other fantasy football service including Yahoo, DraftKings, CBS, NFL.com, and MyFantasyLeague have Hill listed as only a QB.
Normally, fantasy football providers follow a player’s position to determine their eligibility. This is why every service, except ESPN & FanDuel, only allows Hill to be played as a QB. ESPN is the most used fantasy football app, which explains why there is so much controversy.
Why is this a big deal?
Players are often utilized for multiple positions, even if they are listed for one specific position. Many running backs are utilized as wide receivers, and vice versa. However, a QB in a TE slot in fantasy is a big deal. There are only a few TE’s in the NFL who put up consistently good fantasy performances. Putting a QB in that position gives the player quite the advantage.
For leagues only allowing one QB, starting Hill in the TE slot also allows players to utilize a loophole by starting a second QB. QBs often put up the most points as they are the most involved players in any offense. Plus, Hill is the only TE who has this dual eligibility.
TEs typically only get fantasy points for touchdowns, receiving yards, and receptions. QBs have many more ways to score points including passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Hill has the potential to massively outscore what any other TE, not named Travis Kelce, usually does every week.
It should be intriguing to see how many fantasy leagues are affected by the decision to give Hill dual eligibility. There are plenty of fantasy players upset by this unfair advantage, while others who have Hill are excited to take advantage of this loophole. Fantasy football players, what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
