Fantasy Upside
Coach Jeff Fisher announced that Shaun Hill would be the Rams’ starting quarterback following the season-ending knee injury to Sam Bradford. At 34, Hill isn’t going to come in and light the world on fire but he is a savvy veteran that has had plenty of time to learn OC Brian Schottenheimer’s system. While the team could ultimately decide to bring in another quarterback to bolster their depth, Hill will still have the first crack at holding onto the starting job. He offers a steady upgrade over Kellen Clemens, who was thrust into the starter’s job a year ago when Bradford initially tore his ACL.
Fantasy Downside
Hill isn’t going to have a breakout campaign at age 34. He also hasn’t played much over the last two years and will be at the commands of a run-first offense. In 2010, Hill threw for 2,686 yards with 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 starts with the Lions. Even if he plays well, he’s not going to light up the stat sheet because the Rams are going to rely heavily on their running game and defense to win games. He’ll also face San Francisco and Seattle twice this season, making for four bad fantasy matchups.
Bottom Line
The Rams are going to lean heavily on their running game and defense to win games and while they’re not going to change their offense under Hill, he’s still going to be limited in the passing game. Simply put, his fantasy production is going to be limited because he’s not going to be allowed to air it out on a semi-weekly basis. At best he’ll be a QB2 and a reliable waiver wire pickup for owners with bye week issues during the season, depending on the matchup, of course.
