Sports gambling and fantasy football are both majorly popular ways for NFL fans to enjoy the sport. With websites like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, there are numerous ways for folks to gamble on sports legally nowadays, depending on the state in which they reside.
But the popularity of sports gambling and fantasy football has also made professional athletes more susceptible to criticism. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill told the media on Thursday that because folks go up to him and criticize him because of their fantasy football team or a bet they made, he can’t even spend quality time with his family in public.
“A lot of people has taken the game that I grew up lovin’ so much and turnin’ it into betting — turnin’ it into fantasy numbers and stuff like that,” Hill said. “I can’t even enjoy a day out with my wife and my kids. Somebody always walkin’ up to me and is like, ‘I drafted you No. 1, and you’ve been havin’ the worst fantasy season of your career.’ And it’s like, ‘Bro, I do not literally care.’ I’m with my family. Only thing I care about is the Miami Dolphins winnin’ games.”
Hill is having a down season by all accounts. He is in jeopardy of finishing with under 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since the 2019 season.
For perspective on just how underwhelming Hill has been overall in his third season with the Dolphins, he totaled a league-high 1,799 receiving yards a season ago, yet he has just 523 receiving yards to his name with more than half of Miami’s regular season in the books.
However, it’s important to note that the Dolphins were without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for part of the campaign after he went down with a concussion, and his absence seemed to impact Hill’s production. Ever since Tagovailoa made his return to the field against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27, however, Hill has looked more like the player he was in his first two seasons with the team.
Tagovailoa has played in each of Miami’s past four games, and Hill has totaled 60-plus receiving yards in three of those contests. Recently, he racked up 61 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the Dolphins’ victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 17.
The lone underwhelming performance that Hill has had ever since Tagovailoa recuperated from his concussion came against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 11. He totaled just 16 receiving yards on three receptions, but the Dolphins still won that game by a final score of 23-15.
Hill can continue his recent stretch of productive play when the Dolphins play the New England Patriots on Nov. 24. In Miami’s first matchup of the season against New England on Nov. 24, he accumulated 69 receiving yards, and his longest reception was for 21 yards.
