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Though dumb luck can often be a big factor in fantasy football success, picking the right sleepers is how people can make their own luck. Justin Hunter will be one of the players who will be targeted by more knowledgeable GMs on draft day.
The average fan will look at his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans and probably move on. 18 receptions on 42 targets is a cause for concern. On the bright side, he also averaged 19.7 yards per reception and managed four touchdowns. Regardless, he was fantasy irrelevant in 2013, but that won’t be the case this season.
Hunter figures to be a much bigger part of the Titans’ offense, and could challenge Kendall Wright as the team’s No. 1 receiver. The 6-foot-4 freak athlete has been flashing his big-play potential thus far in the preseason. Through three games, Hunter has caught eight of 10 targets for 164 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard TD against the New Orleans Saints.
He has double-digit touchdown potential written all over him. It wasn’t long ago that he was blowing people away at the combine with a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash and 39.5-inch vertical leap.
Due to Jake Locker missing the majority of the season, and the fact that his skills were still a bit raw, Hunter was heavily underutilized last season. That won’t happen again this season.
He is definitely worth a pick where he is projected to go, which is roughly between rounds 11 through 13. He may not be proven, but that late in the draft, you’re not going to get a lot of sure things. You’re also not going to get a player with his enormous upside.
Aaron Charles is a writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @aaroncharleskc or add him to your network on Google
