2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Breakthrough Wide Receiver Candidates

This article is a continuation of RotoBaller’s 2013 fantasy football sleepers.  Today we’ll be taking a look around the NFL at sleeper wide receivers (WR), and give you our fantasy analysis.  

If you like this article, check out the rest of our fantasy football analysis: rankings, sleepers, running backs, wide receivers,  quarterbacks and of course our live fantasy football chat, the best football chatroom on the internwebs.  RotoBaller will be releasing more fantasy football content daily to help you prepare for the 2013 NFL Fantasy Football season so stay tuned!

2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers – Breakthrough Wide Receivers

Torrey Smith (WR, BAL) – If there is one NFL wide receiver that has the capability to bust onto the scene, and into the elite fantasy tier in 2013, it’s Torrey Smith. Flacco doesn’t have Anquan Boldin anymore, Pitta recently went down with a season-ending injury, and Smith has the physicality to be more than just a deep threat receiver. He needs to run crisper routes and get better timing with Flacco, but I bet he takes a big jump forward this season from his already solid 2011 and 2012 campaigns.

T.Y. Hilton (WR, IND) – He ended last year on a tear, and more of the same should continue this NFL season. It seems like T.Y. Hilton and Andrew Luck have formed a rapport that is needed to succeed in the NFL, and when Reggie Wayne is getting all the defensive attention, Hilton knows where to find the holes in coverage.  Make sure to target this high upside talent in your approaching fantasy football drafts.

Earl Bennett (WR, CHI) – It seems like Bennett is a sleeper and breakout candidate year-in and year-out, but this year is different. Not only do you have the Vanderbilt connection between Bennett and Cutler, but he’s entrenched as the slot receiver in Coach Trestman’s new offense which should translate to many more targets. Brandon Marshall can’t do it all. Just be sure to check in on his injury status, as he was diagnosed with a concussion recently and is week-to-week.

Michael Floyd (WR, ARI) – Larry Fitzgerald will have to beat double coverage often this NFL season, and 2013 is Floyd’s opportunity to take advantage of more frequent and more explosive targets by new QB Carson Palmer. Palmer is smart enough to look towards Floyd, especially if Fitzgerald is being overwhelmed by opposing defenses. Floyd is the man who stands to gain the most in 2013 under Arizona's new-look passing attack.

Josh Gordon (WR, CLE) – He’s got the talent, and that's never been the issues.  Gordon's fantasy football success in 2013 will depend on whether or not 2^nd year QB Brandon Weeden can get him the ball, and how often he's targeted in the offense. I think Gordon will eclipse 1,000 yards this season, but the potential TDs will remain a difficult factor to gauge for his fantasy football upside in 2013.

DeVier Posey (WR, HOU) – Posey is the ultimate stallion of darkhorses for 2013 fantasy football, but was getting rave reviews in Houston prior to the 2012 season - and was set to be the number 2 wide receiver in a strong offense, before he lost his 2012 season to injury. Many have forgotten about Posey this year and his abilities, but I personally think that he will be getting a lot of the passing targets and wide receiver production that others expect DeAndre Hopkins to get this NFL season.

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