The wide receiver position has been subject to a great deal of debate within fantasy football over the course of the last few seasons. Do you ever go this position in the initial round? Do you take into accont the offensive scheme and who is throwing said' receiver the ball?
The answers to these questions are pretty simple. Of course you can take a wide receiver, namely Calvin Johnson, in the first round. And, yes you definitely have to take into account the quarterback and offensive scheme. For example, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers throw the ball a lot more than teams like the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
Outside factors will also indicate where you take your WR1. This article is going to focus on 10 fantasy players at this position that you can rely on to be great values. So, let's take a look.
Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders
Position Ranking: 31
Lock it in and throw away any hesitation. As long as Moore stays healthy he will be a 1,000 yard receiver for the Oakland Raiders. As a rookie, Moore excelled a great deal as a deep threat after Carson Palmer took over for Jason Campbell in the starting lineup. Those two have now had a full offseason to work together, which should create something special in 2012.
As it is, Moore wasn't half bad last season. A whopping 36 percent of his receptions went for over 20 yards, including five that went for 40-plus. These are the numbers you look for in a WR2 moving forward. They will give you those added points in the form of long touchdowns.
Randy Moss, San Francisco 49ers
Position Ranking: 50
Moss is a huge wild card here. He is three seasons removed from being an impact player in the league and didn't even suit up in 2011. At the age of 35, there are obvious concerns in regards to his ability to produce at a high level with the 49ers in 2012.
That being said, the 49ers coaching staff couldn't be more impressed with the way Moss has performed during the offseason. He seems to look like the Moss of 2009, which will be huge for San Francisco.
ESPN has Moss ranked at 50 among wide receivers heading into the season. It is my humble opinion that this is about 15 to 20 spots too low. He is going to be starting for what promises to be an improved passing attack in San Francisco.
Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots
Position Ranking: 17
Fantasy football owners seem to have a short memory. Lloyd is one year removed from leading the entire National Football League in yards. He nearly amassed 1,000 last season in two pretty bad offenses with both the Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams. In short, Lloyd can play when he is motivated. It is keeping his head on straight that has been the issue in the past.
The talented veteran now joins the Patriots and Tom Brady, where he immediately becomes the best target on the outside with Wes Welker in the slot. There is no reason to believe that Lloyd cannot be a solid WR2 with some WR1 impact. The major issue here is going to be the amount of weapons the Patriots have on the offensive side of the ball.
Brian Quick, St. Louis Rams
Position Ranking: 54
According to ESPN, Quick would be a waiver wire pickup in 12-team leagues. That is almost as hilarious as it is ridiculous. He immediately becomes the Rams' No. 1 wide receiver and will play that role to a T in 2012. We are talking about a physically gifted player that can dominate with superior speed and size. Quick will not struggle getting off the line and has the capability to get to the ball in a crowd.
As is the case with most receivers in the league, Quick will need to have his quarterback get him the ball on the outside. This is something that Sam Bradford has struggled with in the past. That being said, some of Bradford's struggles were due to the fact that St. Louis hasn't had someone of Quick's caliber on the outside over the course of the last two seasons.
I am envisioning something to the extent of 1,000 yards and six or seven touchdowns in 2012 from the Appalachian State product.
Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Position Ranking: 23
Johnson might be one of the few remaining divas left in the football world at wide receiver, but he can sure the heck produce. Johnson, entering his fifth NFL season, has the look of a true No. 1 wide receiver. He has two consecutive 1,000 yards seasons under his belt and should improve on those numbers drastically this season.
Buffalo was unable to provide Ryan Fitzpatrick with that experienced complementary receiver opposite Johnson. This means that the young receiver will get as many, if not more, looks in 2012. There is absolutely no reason why he should be one of the last WR2's off the board, especially with the likes of Percy Harvin and Jeremy Maclin both ranked ahead of him.
Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Position Ranking: 61
Cobb is going to be the Packers slot receiver heading into 2012 as it looks like he is going to beat out both James Jones and Donald Driver for that spot. If this is the case, you couldn't ask for a bigger sleeper in fantasy football.
Despite limited playing time as a rookie in 2011, Cobb did record nearly 400 receiving yards and found himself open down the field ample times. He now had a full offseason to work with Aaron Rodgers, which is going to help the young receiver out a great deal.
Much like what I have written about with other players in this article, Cobb will provide your fantasy team that deep threat this season. This is only magnified with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL throwing him the ball. Watch out!
Titus Young, Detroit Lions
Position Ranking: 41
There is no doubt in my mind that Young will be the Lions No. 2 wider receiver heading into the regular season. He acts as a perfect complement to Calvin Johnson with Nate Burleson moving to the slot. Young, despite an on-field incident this offseason, seems to be ready to mature on the field as a wide receiver.
His touches are going to be aplenty as well considering that Matthew Stafford challenged for the all-time record for pass attempt in a season last season. In reality it just comes down to basic math. A No. 2 wide receiver on the Lions is going to get nearly as many touches as a No.1 on most other teams in the league.
It really is that simple.
Eric Decker, Denver Broncos
Position Ranking: 26
The Peyton Manning factor once again. The future Hall of Fame quarterback made some marginal wide receivers look like stars, especially in the fantasy football area. This is one of the primary reasons that Eric Decker is so high on my list. The dude fits perfectly into what Manning likes to do on offense. Just imagine Brandon Stokley on Steroids.
At this point Decker is probably the No. 2 wide receiver in Denver, but that isn't going to matter too much. He is going to get his fair share of targets and should compile his first 1,000 yard season.
Vincent Brown, San Diego Chargers
Position Ranking: 63
For San Diego it is pretty much a numbers game here. They added both Eddie Royal and Robert Meachem to the mix after losing Vincent Jackson in free agency. So, where does Brown fit in? Is he the No. 4 wide receiver? If that is the case, you should definitely steer away from the talented young receiver.
That being said, Brown could put himself into a situation during the preseason where Norv Turner and Co. have no choice to put him on the field consistently. The 2011 third-round pick had over 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season as a rookie. You can expect these numbers to double in 2012. Definitely a solid waiver-wire or late-round pickup.
Victor Cruz, New York Giants
Position Ranking: 10
This breakout 2011' performer will give you the big play on a consistent basis. He will spread the field on the outside and in the slot, making it nearly impossible for defenses to cover him one on one. This I what Cruz brings to the table on the football field.
He also brings a tremendous amount of value to your fantasy football team. Cruz accumulated a total of 27 receptions for over 20 yards last season, representing 33 percent of his total output. One of his most amazing performances came against a Seattle Seahawks secondary that was among the best in the league. Cruz put up 161 yards and a touchdown in that game. However, the talented receiver was consistently good throughout the entire season.
Despite this, ESPN has Cruz ranked below the likes of Hakeem Nicks, Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings. I just don't see any rhyme or reason for that to be honest. There is an argument to be made that Cruz performed at a high level for just one season. That being said, a receiver just doesn't lose the ability to play after producing over 1,500 yards the prior season.
Position Rankings Provided by ESPN
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