Fantasy owners have many different philosophies in regards to the wide receiver position. Considering that math indicates only 12 players at this position can be considered WR1's in 12 team leagues, there is a great deal of value outside of the upper-echelon at wide receiver.
Some believe it makes sense to buy low on the initial receiver they take, while buying high on the WR2 for their fantasy team. This philosophy makes some sense to me, but you must be extra cautious when deciding to play the game this way. Outside of Calvin Johnson, I think this strategy makes the most sense.
Why not go after a Brandon Marshall as one of the final No. 1 wide receivers on the board and then turn to a player like Jordy Nelson to be your WR2? Seems like this would work out pretty well.
Today's article is going to focus on a player, Denarius Moore, who I think will surprise a great deal of people in 2012 and could actually be a solid WR2 when all is said and done.
The Oakland Raiders' wide receiver compiled 33 receptions for 618 yards and five touchdowns in 10 starts as a rookie last season. He averaged nearly 19 yards per receptions as well. Moore, a fifth-round pick from Tennessee, accumulated three 100-yard receiving games and another where he tallied 94 yards.
Despite this, Moore is ranked No. 31 at wide receiver by ESPN, just ahead of Santonio Holmes and Lance Moore. Okay, that doesn't seem to make much sense to me. It goes without saying that the second-year receiver is going to improve after a full offseason working with Carson Palmer and getting better acquainted with the Raiders' offensive scheme. He has way more upside than those other two receivers mentioned above.
Moreover, there are rock solid indications that Moore is going to have a breakout fantasy campaign in 2012.
Despite the return of Darren McFadden, who is seemingly healthy, Oakland is going to be relying on the passing game a great deal. Their defense promises to be one of the weakest in the league. This is going to put the onus on Oakland's offense to answer score for score on a consistent basis. Usually situations like this lead to a lot more passing plays than rushing plays.
Secondly, Carson Palmer is returning for his first full season in a Raiders' uniform. He has a strong arm and loves to rely on the passing game. Considering that Moore was their most consistent deep threat last season, it seems he will get consistent targets down the field.
You also have to take into account who the Raiders are going to be facing outside of the AFC West in 2012. The Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers struggled a great deal against the pass last season. This gives Moore an opportunity to rack up numbers on a consistent basis.
Moore isn't a top of the line WR2 option. That being said, if your able to grab one of the elite fantasy receivers in either the first or second round, you might want to take a look at him later in the draft as a secondary option on your fantasy team. My prediction for Moore equates to at least 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN: http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/tools/projections?display=alt&&slotCategoryId=4&startIndex=30