2008 Fantasy Football Player Profile-Cedric Benson

RB Cedric Benson, Chicago Bears

2007 Stats: 674 rushing yards, 123 receiving yards, 4 total TDs
Projected 2008 Stats: 977 rushing yards, 278 receiving yards, 9 total TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 2nd Round
Running backs to be picked ahead of Cedric Benson: LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Joseph Addai, etc. 

Fantasy Outlook:

Why you should draft Cedric Benson: Benson claims that he has to dedicated himself to win the starting job in 2008, and he has lost some weight over the off-season.  If you throw out his last game in 2007, Benson showed signs of his potential averaging 80 rushing yards and one touchdown in his previous two games to end his year. 

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Cedric Benson: Benson has been an underachiever in his career.  In his three seasons, he has missed 13 games and is averaging just 531 rushing yards and three touchdowns.  In 2007, Benson only had five games where he eclipsed 50 rushing yards.

Bottom Line: Benson was arrested in the off-season, but it does not appear that he will be suspended by the league. However, the fact remains that he has yet to live up to his potential in the NFL, which means he should be viewed as a No.2 running back in fantasy until he proves otherwise.