2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Rookie Wide Receivers

This article is a continuation of RotoBaller’s 2013 fantasy football sleepers.  Today we’ll be taking a look around the NFL at sleeper rookie 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 – Rookie Wide Receivers

Following the first 2 weeks of NFL preseason play, here are three solid rookie wide receiver sleepers to consider on fantasy football draft day.  I’ve put these rookies in order of their potential fantasy return, based on your draft-day investment.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Houston Texans): Drafted number 27 overall in the NFL draft, the Texans have high hopes for Hopkins this year. Hopkins is tall and fast, and more importantly has been impressive in his pre-season appearances. He’s shown an incredible catching radius, hauling in impressive receptions on a regular basis. With veteran Andre Johnson drawing double-coverage from team defenses this year, Hopkins will be left open to take advantage of one-on-one matchups. He has the intelligence to match his impressive athletic talent, and will make an immediate impact on the field. Matt Schaub has confidence in him and he will see plenty of targets this season.  Target him in the later rounds of your fantasy drafts, as he may have a big rookie campaign.

Kenbrell Thompkins, WR (New England Patriots): While Aaron Dobson was the early favorite in the Patriots' wide receiver competition, it appears Kenbrell Thompkins is gaining some ground.  In a completely rebuilt receiving core, there is plenty of room for Patriots rookies to shine this year. Thompkins seems to have Brady’s attention, getting five targets in the Patriots' game against the Buccaneers on Friday night. While he didn’t put up any wildly impressive numbers, the fact that he started over Dobson is a positive sign and a huge indicator. Dobson’s performance in camp has been slipping and Brady could be losing confidence in him. Bottom line is Brady's going to be throwing to an NFL rookie this season; it’s just a matter of which rookie wide receiver it will be.  And anyone acting as a primary target for Brady will hold fantasy value. Keep an eye on the race between Dobson and Thompkins, but my early money is on Thompkins.

Markus Wheaton, WR (Pittsburgh Steelers): With Mike Wallace out of the picture in Pittsburgh, there is room for a young NFL rookie wide receiver to make a splash this year for the Steelers.  Markus Wheaton is that guy. His teammates and coaches have been singing his praises throughout the preseason, and he's quickly becoming a training camp favorite. Wheaton already plays like a veteran, while working incredibly hard to learn the game and continue improving in the Steeler's offensive system. He’s made a few errors due to his inexperience, but should be able to shake those nerves with some more time on the NFL field. With Rothlisberger at the helm, and throwing the pigskin, Wheaton should see plenty of pass targets in 2013.  This should all translate into great fantasy value, especially with Wheaton's cheap draft price in the later rounds.

Here are some more fantasy football articles about rookies, sleepers & wide receivers.  Let’s win some leagues!

• 2013 Fantasy Football: NFL Rookies & Rankings
• 2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Rookie Running Backs
• 2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Rookie Wide Receivers

• 2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: A Look at Impact Rookies
• 2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
• 2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Breakthrough Wide Receiver Candidates
•  2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Using ADP To Plan Your Draft Strategy

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