May 28, 2019

I miss the good old days of fantasy football where all we had to consider was how each player would perform in the coming season. It seems like every year now we have an elite fantasy asset in trouble with the law and at risk of a suspension. Between Julian Edelman, Ezekiel Elliott, Tom Brady, Le'Veon Bell, and, of course, Josh Gordon, the issue of what to do with a player guaranteed to not play 16 games has hovered over fantasy drafts. As of the time I am writing this, Tyreek Hill is not suspended, but everyone is expecting it. At this point, the prevailing question is whether Hill gets a handful of games or a full season. There's really no need to discuss Hill's value when on the field. If he's playing 16 games, he's a top five fantasy receiver, worthy of going around that 1-2 turn. The question isn't even what to do with him now - it's what to do with him if we get into August and then the preseason and he hasn't been suspended. A suspension would make things easier because at least we would know what we're getting. We're flying blind right now, trying to speculate what a completely arbitrary arbiter of justice, Roger Goodell, will do. The closer we get to September without a ruling, the more likely it is Hill plays in 2019. Look no further than 2018 LeSean McCoy as evidence. As of now, I wouldn't take Hill until I was no longer confident in the production of the alternatives. Fifth round is the earliest I'd consider him and only if I really didn't like anyone else. As we get closer to draft season, his ADP will steadily rise. If we get a formal suspension before then, I will be sure to update this with advice on how to proceed.--Jason Katz