Week 11 Early Game Fantasy Football Takeaways: Taysom Hill, Jonnu Smith and Anthony Richardson

There was an entertaining batch of early NFL games on Sunday, so I decided to write up a fantasy football takeaway story on some of the biggest happenings.

Let’s get right to it!

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Taysom Hill Erupts

New Orleans’ Taysom Hill can do a little bit of everything on the football field, and is an intriguing fantasy player as a result. On Sunday, Hill was an absolute fantasy monster.

He rushed for 138 yards and three scores on just seven carries. Hill scored on runs of 10, 33 and 75 in the contest.

Hill also had eight receptions and 10 targets in the passing game, going for 50 yards. He also returned a kickoff 42 yards.

There were just a few negatives from the performance. He lost a fumble and threw an interception - Hill completed his other pass for 18 yards.

According to our data, Hill is rostered in just 62% of fantasy leagues right now. That number should explode during the waiver wire period.

He’s listed as a tight end, but really can’t be bunched into that group when looking at his defensive matchups ahead. The Saints have lost several offensive playmakers, and that leaves room for several players to step up. Hill is going to be one of those guys.

Now, I don’t expect Hill to be this great a fantasy asset every week, but I absolutely would add him in any league type, especially if I had a tight end or flex spot that doesn’t have a locked-in starter. Hill can be an average fantasy performer on just a few touches because of his touchdown potential, and he should get enough touches every week to potentially be an above-average option, or even a star like this week.

Don’t get caught up thinking his week 11 performance isn’t sustainable. Add Hill and utilize him when you need him down the stretch - he might be the one who helps you win a fantasy title.

Jonnu Smith’s Big Day

The Dolphins’ offense has been a disappointment this season. A lot of that has to do with Tua Tagovailoa being out most of the season, but the offense looked good again in week 11 against the Raiders.

It wasn’t Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle that led the pass catchers, but instead Smith. The tight end actually had more yards than those two wideouts combined.

Smith went for 101 yards and two scores on six grabs and eight targets. 

It was the first time he went over 100 yards this season, and only the second time he topped 60 yards. Smith scored for the second and third times.

Smith’s fantasy outing was fantastic, especially at a weak tight end position, but I wouldn’t overreact to it too much. Smith, who is rostered in 58% of leagues, has an incredibly tough schedule ahead of him.

That doesn’t mean he couldn’t be an average-or-better weekly fantasy option, but between the tough schedule and the team’s top two wideouts, it makes it look like an uphill climb for Smith.

At the weaker TE fantasy spot, Smith should get a ton of waiver love, in all leagues, but I’d really only want to make that move in a standard league if I was desperate for a TE. I wouldn’t mind taking that risk in a deeper league if he was still available.

What I’m trying to say with Smith is to temper your fantasy expectations.

Anthony Richardson Takes Step Forward

Richardson was named the Colts’ starting quarterback again this week, but his fantasy expectations were low going into a matchup against the Jets.

Richardson not only defied expectations, but he was a fantasy star. He completed 20 of his 30 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He added 32 rushing yards and two scores on 10 carries.

The young QB delivered a night that fantasy owners have been waiting for since he got into the league. He did more as a passer, but the couple rushing scores are exactly what makes him such an appealing fantasy asset.

All of a sudden, Richardson looks like a top-end fantasy QB for the remainder of the season. He’s got some tougher matchups ahead, but after delivering against a tougher defense on Sunday, a lot of fantasy owners are going to have enough confidence in him to start him here and there.

A dual-threat quarterback can make tougher matchups irrelevant because they can beat you with their arm and legs, and if Richardson becomes that kind of fantasy guy down the stretch, he could help teams to fantasy titles.

Owned in just 43% of leagues, you can bet Richardson is going to be a hot commodity on the waiver wire this week. If you don’t have a locked-in starter or have been streaming every week, why not take a shot on Richardson? If this was just a one-game blip, you can drop him in a week or two.

I think this could be a sign of things to come for Richardson, and would be all for adding the Colts’ QB.