Devin Hester is expected to sign with a team shortly as a return man, and when he does, we'll have considerable interest in that defense in fantasy leagues (especially TD-only formats). For close to a decade, he's been a difference-making returner.
Hester has been returning punts for the Bears since his rookie season of 2006, and has a total of 13 TDs on punt returns in that span (as a team, the Bears have 14). That's nearly twice as many as any other team; the Cowboys and Titans, with 8 TDs on punt returns in those eight seasons, are tied for 2nd.
The Bears, meanwhile, have ranked in the top 3 in punt return average five times in Hester's eight seasons. Just twice have they finished lower than 15th.
Hester hasn't been as special on kickoffs; Chicago has used other players there, and has ranked higher than 16th just once in the last four years. Hester had 4 TDs on kickoffs his first two seasons, but only 1 in his last six. But maybe a change of scenery, and operating strictly as a returner (the Bears used him extensively as a receiver from 2008-2012), will help Hester in that area, as well.
Punt-return rankings (based on average yards) during Hester's career, sorted by total TDs, are presented below.
| NFL PUNT RETURN RANKINGS, 2006-2013 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 09 | 08 | 07 | 06 | TDs |
| Chicago | 3 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| Dallas | 5 | 4 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 16 | 19 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 24 | 2 | 15 | 4 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 1 | 8 |
| Green Bay | 7 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 26 | 7 |
| Denver | 22 | 17 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 6 |
| Buffalo | 29 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Baltimore | 2 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 25 | 5 |
| Cleveland | 10 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Philadelphia | 27 | 13 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 24 | 10 | 5 |
| New Orleans | 30 | 27 | 17 | 23 | 31 | 4 | 23 | 28 | 5 |
| Arizona | 31 | 24 | 2 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 12 | 24 | 21 | 9 | 4 |
| Kansas City | 6 | 21 | 6 | 17 | 27 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 4 |
| Houston | 19 | 9 | 14 | 29 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 4 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 29 | 13 | 32 | 18 | 31 | 30 | 21 | 3 |
| New England | 11 | 5 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| Indianapolis | 14 | 7 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
| St. Louis | 18 | 31 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 4 | 27 | 3 |
| Oakland | 21 | 32 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 2 | 31 | 31 | 3 |
| San Diego | 25 | 15 | 22 | 15 | 22 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 3 |
| Tampa Bay | 8 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 30 | 2 |
| Seattle | 9 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 2 |
| Cincinnati | 15 | 11 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 26 | 32 | 29 | 2 |
| San Francisco | 17 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 10 | 19 | 18 | 2 |
| Atlanta | 20 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 29 | 24 | 2 |
| Miami | 23 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 2 |
| Washington | 28 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 30 | 22 | 26 | 14 | 2 |
| Detroit | 13 | 22 | 26 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 22 | 4 | 1 |
| NY Jets | 16 | 12 | 18 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 1 |
| NY Giants | 26 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 15 | 1 |
| Jacksonville | 32 | 28 | 31 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 22 | 1 |
| Carolina | 12 | 14 | 30 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 32 | 0 |
--Andy Richardson