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2014 Fantasy Football Profile: WR Justin Hunter

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By @SicEm18

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Though he’s not quite as hot of a topic as fellow Tennessee Titans WR Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter is certainly a player to keep your eyes on. Hunter may not be a starter (nor will he be a starter on your fantasy roster), but he’s completely worth your pick because of his upside and value as a replacement he provides.

Positives:

His physical attributes are his biggest asset. He stands at 6-foot-4 and adds almost three more feet with his arm length.

Along with his body size, he creates quite the target zone with his 2013 NFL combine leading 39.5-inch vertical. His combine stats didn’t just stop there, though, as he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash as well as a broad jump over 11 feet. That’s quite the downfield threat. The Titans are planning on utilizing his skills and physical set to be more of a downfield target this season.

One of his weaknesses used to be his strength, but he’s added 15 pounds of muscle that will allow him to fight off the physical brand of defensive backs in the NFL. He’ll be a mismatch for most linebackers, as well as smaller cornerbacks.

As he improves, he’ll start to take targets away from Nate Washington. He’ll likely see about 65 targets from his 42 last season.

Negatives:

Hunter is only the WR3 on the roster, behind Washington and Wright.

His catch rate was 41 percent last season. That number should go up, but it’s a concern that he hasn’t proven himself reliable in his first season.

His QB Jake Locker hasn’t proven reliable yet, as his career success rate is just 43.6 percent. And for an “agile” QB, he gets sacked quite often. In his last 16 games, he’s been sacked 41 times.

Final Verdict:

If you draft Hunter, you won’t be starting him right away; he’ll be on your bench for some time. But he’s shown improvement and will his numbers will escalate as the season goes on. He’ll be a viable replacement for your starters during their byes, as well as a good start for you in the playoffs. The best thing is you can get him in the sixteenth round or off waivers.

Auction Value: $0

Projected Round: 16 (12 team league)

Bye Week: 9

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