Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Despite lingering injury concerns from Week 3, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver/return man Devin Hester is expected to be fully healthy for the Falcons’ Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. After sitting out practice on Monday, Hester was a full participant Wednesday and should be ready for the Vikings come Sunday.
Hester has earned a ton of praise for his performance last Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which he broke Deion Sanders’ record for career return touchdowns and also scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown.
In the crowded Falcons’ receiving corps, Hester is seen as the fourth receiver behind Julio Jones, Roddy White and Harry Douglas, but Douglas and White are still listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup. If White and Douglas don’t play, Hester will certainly get a lot of targets as a WR2 as the Falcons currently have the NFL’s best passing attack, averaging over 333 yards per game.
Even if Douglas and White do play, Hester is still a valuable flex option. As last week’s game proved, Hester is a threat to take it to the house on every return with his ability as a receiver and in the running game.
Going up against the Vikings at home won’t be a breeze, but the Viking and their mediocre defense should not pose a huge threat to the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Given the Vikings’ special team concerns as of late, coupled with the fact that Hester is averaging 28 yards per kick return and 15 yards per punt, Hester should be starting for your fantasy football team this week.
