Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Devin Hester's Stock Rising

Cut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's daily gathering of links from around the web, covering the goings-on in NFL Training Camp which have an impact on fantasy value.

Obviously, with training camp comes a certain level of optimism surrounding every team. At Bears camp, the entire offense has been a veritable hype machine, due mostly to the acquisition of pro bowl quarterback Jay Cutler.

Devin Hester is getting rave reviews from every source who has seen camp as well. Most recently, Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune penned an entire column gushing about the progress of Hester as a receiver and the prospects of him becoming a legitimate star receiver. And he hasn't always been a Hester-at-wideout fan.

You can see it in his routes and you can see it in his eyes. Hester isn't an athlete trying to act like a wide receiver anymore. He is a wide receiver.

I have been skeptical about Hester becoming a legitimate, well-rounded receiver. But what he's doing on the practice fields during training camp at Olivet Nazarene is convincing me that he is taking to the position in his second year as a full-time pass catcher.

In which areas has Hester improved since last year?

"It would be better to figure out an area he hasn't improved in," wide receivers coach Darryl Drake said. "He has improved in all facets, from route running to understanding concepts, understanding defenses. In every possible aspect of playing the position, he has really grown."

You'll still be able to get Hester as a WR3 in the majority of fantasy leagues, and it's looking like he'll be an absolute steal.

Other camp notes with fantasy spin:
- LenDale White continues to talk about his new-and-improved focus on being a better football player. He's lost 30 pounds, and you know Tennessee is going to run the football. He's moving into high-end RB3 range, though the increase shouldn't cause you to drop Chris Johnson (still a low-end RB1).

- Megatron has a jammed thumb. This would be a problem if the regular season wasn't still over a month away. Draft him with confidence as an elite WR1.

- Looks like the Lions may be starting Matthew Stafford this season, instead of having him watch Daunte Culpepper. Neither is an advisable starter in fantasy leagues, though.

- David Garrard is struggling in camp. Whether or not it's his fault doesn't really matter to fantasy players. We just know to be aware of his struggles and avoid taking him as more than a low-end QB2.

- Greg Lewis seems to be pushing Joey Galloway for the Patriots' third wide receiving job. In the article, head coach Bill Belichick mentions they had been trying to trade for Lewis for years. Seems like someone to keep on our radar as camp progresses, because we all know how Belichick is about scouting his own talent.

- Mark Sanchez is gaining on Kellen Clemens in the fight for the Jets' starting quarterback job. Neither will be worth more than a QB3 selection at the beginning of the season, but Sanchez definitely possesses more upside and could emerge as a helpful spot-starter late in the season.

- This just in, the Broncos have a lot of running backs, all of whom are good enough to warrant carry consideration. I'll be avoiding all of them. It's just not worth the headache.

- Looks like Larry Johnson is having a good time again, which we couldn't have said the past two seasons. Neither his age nor his career workload suggest he's cooked just yet and I like him as a good value pick (you can get him as an RB3).

- Darrius Heyward-Bey is already dealing with his second training camp injury. First, it was a tweaked hamstring, and now it's a bum toe. Even if he exits camp healthy, he's got fantasy bust written all over him for 2009. Teammates Chaz Schilens and Johnnie Lee Higgins are being drafted later but will both have better seasons.

- Martellus Bennett has what appears to be a mild knee injury. Again, we're too far away from the season to allow things like this to worry us when drafting.

- Beanie Wells continues to miss practice. We still like him much better than Tim Hightower and he'll be ready before the regular season begins. If anything, this injury could help make Wells cheaper on draft day than he should be.