With all four quarterbacks ineligible to play after Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 and the other three were deemed high-risk contacts, the Denver Broncos are expected to start practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback on Sunday when they host the Saints.
Yes, you read that right.
With Hinton eligible to play as a wide receiver in some fantasy football leagues, does his status the likely starting QB mean he's an auto-start — not dissimilar from Taysom Hill, the Saints' tight-end eligible signal-caller who will start opposite of Hinton on Sunday?
Our trio of award-winning fantasy football experts weigh in. You can find their rankings for Hinton in PPR and standing formats, as well.
Is Broncos QB Kendall Hinton An Auto-Start?
Sean Koerner
Sean is FantasyPros' sixth-most accurate ranker heading into Week 12. He was also the No. 1 draft ranker of 2019.
He's definitely not an auto-start. Royce Freeman would have been more compelling considering that by Week 12 during a global pandemic, the running back position can be incredibly thin (which it is this week). Getting a handful of points from a RB (with built in upside) would have been much more valuable there.
I have Hinton projected in the WR45 range, which is the range I like to make lineup decisions based on if I'm a favorite or underdog in a head-to-head matchup. Since Hinton is a high-ceiling play, definitely start him if you're a huge underdog. But if you're a favorite, I would lean toward a player like Russell Gage, who has a higher floor.
Here are my projections for Hinton:
- Passing: 90-100 yards; 0.35 touchdown
- Rushing: 30-40 yards; 0.2 touchdown
Chris Raybon
Chris was the fourth-most accurate in-season ranker of 2019.
I have Hinton projected for fewer than six points so, no, he's not auto-starting anywhere.
Matthew Freedman
Matthew was the No. 6 ranker in-season ranker of 2017.
Starting Hinton at WR this week is ultimate fancy play syndrome.
Maybe he gets 70 yards rushing, 120 yards passing, and a touchdown. And maybe he gets benched after two bad quarters.
You should play him only if you are absolutely desperate — and even then, probably not.
Kendall Hinton Fantasy Rankings
Below are our experts' rankings for Hinton as a wide receiver as of 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Standard Ranking
- Consensus: 23
- Koerner: 19
- Raybon: 65
- Freedman: 12
PPR Ranking
- Consensus: 66
- Koerner: 61
- Raybon: 88
- Freedman: 44
Sharp NFL bettors have also taken a position on the Saints vs. Broncos game with Hinton under center for Denver. The Action Network's PJ Walsh details how the pros are betting this game.
Want access to our experts' weekly fantasy football rankings and annual draft kit? Take advantage of our Black Friday promotion to lock in your Action PRO membership for an entire year at $49.99 (normally $100).
