Weekly Freakout: Devin Hester

Chicago receiver Devin Hester looked poised to join some of his former teammates from "The U" as an every-week fantasy starter.

Hester (pictured), however, hasn't looked anywhere near the part of even Santana Moss at this point. Hester has fallen down to No. 32 in our WR rankings, meaning he's barely worth a start, even in 10-team leagues.
Why is that?

Hester has just 12 receptions for 86 yards over Chicago's past three games, and that cold streak has owners whether or not he's in play even in a favorable matchup against the Rams. St. Louis has allowed 145.5 yards and eight TDs to receivers this season.

So, why has Hester gone from borderline stud to every-week dud? Jay Cutler has everything to do with it. Cutler has thrown for just two TD passes over the past two weeks. Cutler seems a little too locked into tight end Greg Olsen, who ironically also played his college ball at Miami.

Here's a few other things we've noticed about Hester:

He had cleared 80 yards receiving in five games. The Bears are 1-3 in those games.

Surprisingly, he's averaging just 12.0 yards per reception. Not what you would expect from a boom-or-bust type player.

Hester has not caught a TD pass since Week 7 against Cincinnati.

All these signs suggest Hester isn't quite there yet. Or it's Cutler's fault. Most likely, it's a lot of both.

Can Hester turn it around in December? He had 17 receptions for 223 yards and no touchdowns in four December games in 2008.

Not sure I would use him this week against the Rams.The fantasy playoff schedule (vs. GB, at BAL, vs. MIN) isn't very inviting either. I would take a chance on Hester against the Packers; Hester had 90 yards and a TD against Green Bay in the first meeting. Other than that, Hester is best life on the bench.

Your thoughts? Did you drop Hester? Is he worth having on a fantasy playoff roster?

Click here to order Devin Hester’s proCane Rookie Card.



(sportingnews.com)