It’s getting to be that time of the year. The New Orleans Saints, especially after the injuries to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in Tampa, likely saw a lane for divisional success open up this past week. Note, too, that the Falcons lost to the Seahawks, and the Panthers are a non-factor.
Saints HC Dennis Allen has been a little bit iffy about Derek Carr’s (oblique) availability for their Week 8 game. However, he’s suggested that Week 9 is almost a lock for Derek Carr’s return. This offense, at least at the QB position, should steady itself soon.
As far as league-wide tight ends go, T.J. Hockenson is scheduled to make his return in either Week 8 or Week 9. We’ll get some help there. But it’s still a tough position about which to feel secure as we assess our fantasy rosters for the home stretch.
And so! I’d like to remind everyone how valuable Taysom Hill has been from the TE slot in the second half of fantasy seasons. He’s likely worth bench consideration, as soon as this week.
Analysis
Of course, we’ve had no reason to roster Hill the past few weeks with any lofty stash intentions. His rib injury has kept him mostly off the practice field, and entirely off the football field in regulation. I see this as a positive: he might have fallen out of the collective consciousness of your leaguemates because he hasn’t had any potential to be relevant. His ownership is at a paltry 19.8%, and dropping.
He might soon become a trendier name to add. Chris Olave’s concussion, even while he’s among the league’s elite leaders in creating separation, concerns me enough (only given his history) that I feel like I downgrade him only slightly the rest of the year. It’s also a bleak realization that Rashid Shaheed’s season-ending knee injury is going to allow defenses to key in on Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara a lot more.
Hence: Taysom Hill. For just about the last five years, he’s sort of been the Saints’ super-utility fantasy asset who savvy managers roster before his boom takes off.
To give you a sense of the history, here’s how many games after Week 7 of that year’s NFL season (but before Week 17, when most fantasy playoffs end) Taysom Hill scored over ten half-PPR fantasy points:
- 2023: 5 (two of these were 20+ FPT games)
- 2022: 4
- 2021: 3* (*Hill only played in six games between Weeks 8 and 17 in 2021; two of the three listed here were 20+ FPT games)
- 2020: 8 (five of these were 15+ FPT games; two were 20+ FPT efforts)
- 2019: 3
For those who don’t want to do the math, there are ten total weeks in between Week 8 and Week 17. At his worst, Hill is providing 10+ FPTs from your tight end slot 30% of the time for the second half of the season. I really do expect this to be a trend that continues this year.
Provided Hill stays healthy, I expect the Saints offense to feature him and their newly-extended superstar Alvin Kamara, primarily, in this offense in the short game. There’s a ton of value to be had there, potentially and historically.
Bottom Line
Now, just for the record, in many of my leagues, I have Brock Bowers. He’s having an electric rookie season, has been supremely fun to watch—but I’ve seen this movie before. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop a bit. Regression is likely on its way for Bowers like an unstoppable rebel force.
Hence why I think it might be time for folks with even the most secure tight end roster across your league to add Taysom Hill. Speculatively. He’s largely un-rostered, and we all know how soul-crushing his big games are when we’re playing against him.
I’d very much like my 2024 fantasy football season to be one during which I’m the one doling out those winter game punishments from the tight end slot. I won’t let myself be on the barrel end of them, and neither should you.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
