The New Orleans Saints have had a fantasy football glitch for years.
Taysom Hill, the tight end, running back, full back, wide receiver, and quarterback hybrid is the most versatile player in the NFL, even playing special teams. While the gadget stuff seems obvious when he is on the field, the 33-year-old is making the most of it, as he signed a lucrative four-year, 40 million-dollar contract extension in 2021.
The do-it-all veteran is listed as a tight end for most, if not all fantasy sites, and despite a down first half of the season, he did pick it up in the back half of the year as a risky, but big-time asset in fantasy.
Can that continue for another season and will he be a value in fantasy drafts or a future waiver wire stash pickup?
Taysom Hill Production and Stats
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At 6’2″ and 221 pounds, the former BYU undrafted quarterback became a utility player for the Saints after he was waived by the Green Bay Packers in 2017 as a rookie.
Ever since he’s been in New Orleans for six seasons, Taysom Hill has been a difference-maker on the field when healthy in one way or another, playing in 92 games lined up in multiple spots mostly on offense.
For his career passing, Hill has a 64.1 completion percentage, over 2,300 yards through the air, and has thrown 11 touchdowns. However, due to just limited reps in-game, he is a turnover-prone player, with eight career-thrown interceptions and 11 fumbles with five losses.
This is reflected in his most recent stats catching the ball specifically, going over 230 yards receiving this past season and in 2019, also snagging six touchdowns five years ago. In the other four seasons, Hill has less than 100 receiving yards as a primary blocker but career-wise, has accumulated 756 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns mostly as a tight end.
However, the bruising playmaker is a bigger threat as a dynamic runner, basically like a big power back with receiving and blocking chops.
2020 was the start of him being used in this way in New Orleans, as Hill has 398 carriers for 2,159 yards on the ground. He is a battering ram on read options with his mobility, running for 145 total first downs with his longest run being 60 yards in 2022, averaging over five yards a carry.
For fantasy, Hill is a touchdown machine, scoring 27 career rushing touchdowns mostly near the goalline for the Saints.
Taysom Hill 2024 Fantasy Outlook
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Taysom Hill’s damage is done mostly on the ground and some through the air, just because he is listed as a tight end in fantasy, getting rushing yards most tight ends or wide receivers just don’t get.
This is especially the case in terms of touchdown equity, as the infamous Taysom Hill package near the red zone is a classic for vulturing touchdowns from Alvin Kamara.
Even with tight ends Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, and rookie Dallin Holker, the human mismatch Hill will still be viable whenever he is getting offensive snaps.
Although his pure running back or full-back snaps are not as common, with Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller behind Kamara, the quarterback/ tight end convert can still be a focal point of the offense at times, gimmicky and as unserious as it is.
Hill is especially valuable in fantasy with standard leagues, as touchdowns matter the most in that format compared to half or full PPR.
In 2023, he was the 7th best tight end in fantasy in standard, while being a top three tight end in 2022 with the same format. In full PPR, Hill was still top-ten in 2022, and 12th in 2023. In half PPR, he was top five in 2022 and top ten in 2023.
On FantasyPros, Taysom Hill is being ranked as the 20th tight end in standard, with an ECR and ADP of 164-165, making him a back half of the draft-type selection.
Final Thoughts on Taysom Hill
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While he won’t be a full-time starting quarterback anymore, the versatile chess piece can always be an emergency passer in a pinch if Derek Carr gets hurt again like in 2023. That might be the last resort, as the offense struggled with him under the helm in 2020 and 2021 mostly as a signal caller.
I wouldn’t expect that too much this season otherwise, as the New Orleans Saints have rookie Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and Nathan Peterman behind the veteran starter.
While Taysom Hill has experience as a gunner and returner on special teams, with the new kickoff rules, it would be interesting if the team thinks about using him in that way for 2024. Their current returner for both kicks and punts is Rashid Shaheed and rookie Jermaine Jackson.
The human gadget might be worth the later round investment depending on what format your fantasy draft is in.
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