Chicago Bears Fantasy Focus Part 3: Devin Hester

With training camp set to open this week, it means that Fantasy Football is right around the corner.  Most seasons, the Chicago Bears were a Fantasy Football afterthought aside from maybe the Defense and Special Teams.  That will not be the case in 2009.  In this series, we’ll take a look at the Bears you should target for your fantasy football squad.

Devin Hester

Hester came a long way in 2008, his first full year as a wide receiver.  Remember when Moose Muhammed had to help Devin line up in 2007???  I tried to block it out too.  Can you think of how many times you watched Hester streaking down the sideline with a step or two on the DB and was underthrown or a pass wasn’t even attempted in his direction?  No more of that, I say.  Actually, Jay Cutler will say.

Overall Rank: 126

Position Rank: 39

2008 Stats: 665 yards/3 TD’s Receiving

Projected Stats: 780 yards/6 TD’s Receiving

Upside: Hester and Cutler connect on those long downfield passes and stretch the field.  Hester is the next Steve Smith in the making.

Downside: Hester can’t take the next step as a receiver and becomes the next Dante Hall.

My take: Devin continues to be one of the biggest wild cards in football.  He can still be a game changer and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.  I believe that Cutler puts him in that position way more often than last season.  Devin is still slated to return punts, so if your league counts an individual player return touchdowns (and not all do), Hester should move up on your draft board as he takes the next step in 2009.  I think he’s a great #2/3 wide receiver or flex option especially if your league has bonus points for long TD’s or if they reward individual return TD’s.

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