Matt Forte: Will He Start? 2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Projections

Just a year ago, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte was the darling of the organization and a favorite selection in the first round of many fantasy football drafts.

Why shouldn't he have been held in such high regard after a great rookie season in a very average offense?

With the addition of quarterback Jay Cutler and upgrades (we thought at that time) on the offensive line, it looked like Forte was a shoo-in to repeat his rookie numbers in 2009.

Danger, Will Robinson

Instead of leading the Bears back to the playoffs, Forte fell to mediocrity in '09 and failed to rush for 1,000 yards. Even worse, Forte's touchdown total took a nosedive from 12 to a mere four.

The offensive line that was supposed to help gave Forte no running room, and Cutler struggled and seemed to go color-blind (26 interceptions on the year) from game to game. Forte himself suffered a knee injury early in the season and played through it. In January, he had to have surgery on the ailment.

With such a poor showing, the Bears signed veteran Chester Taylor in free agency.

Now, Forte is not only going to lose time on the field, but he will also have to earn his starting job this offseason and prove that he is still a go-to player.

Fantasy Outlook

It's still too early to know what will happen in Chicago, but with Mike Martz running the offense, you can bet the passing game will come first. Both Forte and Taylor are good receivers out of the backfield, so they could both have solid production in that area.

If Forte is going to be a worthy starter in fantasy this year, he will have to establish himself once again as the go-to man in the red zone for touchdowns. The Bears will also need to turn their defensive production around and start playing up to the standards that fans and ownership have of them.

With the signing of Julius Peppers and the return of Brian Urlacher, this defensive unit has a chance to have a comeback season. This will be key, as any offense (including Martz's offense) will lean on the running game in the fourth quarter with a good-sized lead.

If Forte can establish himself as the go-to man in the running game, he will reap the benefits of his team's new-found success. Should the Bears perform in a fashion that looks much like 2009, Forte will be worthless this coming season and will probably be cut by many fantasy owners come November.

Look for Forte as a decent flex-play option, as his success hinges on a rebound performance during the season and renewed success from his team overall. Oh, and of course, he has to win the starting job first.

NFL fantasy football player rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com