Olsen could be a fantasy dream come true

Attention all fantasy football players:

I really think Greg Olsen will have a monster season in 2009, and not just because he and Jay Cutler are bff’s off the field. Olsen’s production jumped from 39 catches, 391 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie in 2008 to 54 catches, 574 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.

Expect an even bigger jump this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Olsen caught 80 passes this season and approached 1,000 yards. Double-digit TD catches are a possibility considering Olsen’s combination of athleticism, size and speed.

Olsen has been underutilized in the Bears’ offense the past two seasons, and he still put up decent numbers. With Cutler’s rifle arm and ability to buy time in the pocket, Olsen will be able to stretch the field and should become a dangerous weapon in the red zone.

Coaches are traditionally reluctant to hype individual players this early, but even the understated Lovie Smith seems pumped up about Olsen’s potential.

“I'm excited about Greg Olsen's role with this team,” Smith said. “He's a talented player, and there are a lot of different options and things that we can do with him.”

Olsen says that coaches haven’t come right out and told him he’ll be playing a bigger role, but he gets that idea from all the different ways they’re using him and the way they’re lining him up in different positions within the offense.