ClutchPoints
Travis Hunter is a football anomaly. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner was named the best player in college football because he was a full-time two-way player, which isn’t something that had been done in decades. At Colorado, Hunter was arguably both the best receiver and the best cornerback in the nation.
His success with the Buffaloes led to the Jacksonville Jaguars trading up to select him second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jaguars plan on using Hunter on both sides of the football, which justifies his high draft selection. Hunter’s unique role puts fantasy football players in a weird spot, though. So, how should Hunter be valued in fantasy sports as a rookie?
Obviously, Hunter doesn’t have fantasy numbers to look back at from last season. His statistics at Colorado were quite impressive, though. Hunter ranked top five in the nation in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,258), and receiving touchdowns (15).
He did this despite having 15 passes defended, four interceptions, and a game-winning forced fumble on the defensive end. All in all, Hunter played 1,443 snaps during his junior season. Hunter was a First-Team All-Big 12 member on both sides of the field.
Half of what Hunter provides is defensive impact. He is instinctual as a cornerback and often bats down passes or even intercepts them. When he is able to get his hands on the football, he is always a threat to take it the distance. Hunter’s defensive capabilities don’t result in his own fantasy points, though. Instead, in standard leagues, Hunter’s success on defense just leads to the Jaguars’ defense/special teams scoring points.
Considering the Jaguars had the 30th-ranked defense (according to fantasypros.com) in fantasy sports last season, fantasy managers shouldn’t be drafting Hunter for what he’ll bring to the table on the less glamorous end of the field. Hunter can still provide plenty on offense, though.
Hunter’s route running is still developing, but he has a knack for making big plays. He tracks balls at an elite level, which is why he is projected to catch 80 passes for 967 yards and six touchdowns, according to ESPN. Hunter is obviously uber talented. If he spent all of his time at receiver, he would likely be drafted even higher than he is currently projected in fantasy leagues.
Fans do have to wonder how two-way play will translate to the NFL level, though. Hunter’s value comes from his ability to help his team in multiple facets, and not just from his ability to put up big receiving numbers. Because he will be playing defense, he puts himself at an extra risk of being injured, and he may not be as fresh on offense as some of his receiver peers will be.
Hunter is one of the hardest players to predict in fantasy football this season. Perhaps there will be more clarity in his role ahead of next year,...
