2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers

This article is an introduction to RotoBaller’s 2013 fantasy football sleepers.  Today we’ll be taking a look around the NFL at sleeper wide receivers (WR) to 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 - Wide Receivers

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: After bouncing back from several injury-plagued years, doubling his number of receptions between 2011 and 2012, and almost tripling his yardage, Sanders may be poised for a big year in 2013. He is in a single-year contract with the opportunity this season to prove that he is worthy of a multi-year contract. Mike Wallace is out of the way, allowing Sanders to move into a flanker position much better suited to his talents. The “70 catches for 1,000 yards” expectations that the Steelers have for Sanders means that he will see a lot of passes coming his direction. As the number two receiver, Sanders could also see a lot of targets if teams are caught up covering Antonio Brown. The combination of the team's expectations and his contract status going forward should have Sanders more determined than ever. Coming off a frustrating 8-8 season, the entire Pittsburgh team is motivated and ready to come back stronger this year.  This a good environment for a young and talented WR to find himself in, and it positions Sanders for a breakout season.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona: A new quarterback and a year of experience behind him could mean everything for Floyd. Last year, Floyd finished with 45 receptions and showed flashes of greatness-- not too shabby for a rookie. But there's potential here, with upside for much more. An awful quarterback situation was partially to blame for Arizona's receivers' inability to perform at their best in 2012, a problem that should be fixed going into 2013. Carson Palmer’s strong arm was wasted in Oakland last year and will be ready to produce in Arizona. Palmer has spoken very highly of Floyd’s performance in camp, and a confident QB is half the battle toward a successful season for a WR.  Similarly to the situation in Pittsburgh, double-coverage on Fitzgerald will likely open Floyd up as a target with single coverage. And with Larry Fitzgerald as a role model and mentor, Floyd should be more focused than ever. He is getting more touches in practice and gaining confidence, which will make all the difference on the field for the young receiver.  Floyd is currently listed on the depth chart as a starter ahead of Andre Roberts, and this breakout candidate is worth targeting in the later rounds of your 2013 fantasy drafts.

Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans: Another wide receiver coming off a decent rookie season, Wright is poised to have a much stronger sophomore year. Last year he hauled in 64 passes for 626 yards and four touchdowns.  And in the offseason, he did a lot of work to get into better shape, losing 14 pounds.  The weight loss will add to his quickness and agility, and should result in more yards per catch this year, as long as QB Jack Locker can get him the ball in space. Wright had flashes of brilliance last year, resulting in a few really good weeks for fantasy owners. There's the possibility that those strong performances will be more frequent this season, especially in PPR leagues, with Locker looking to Wright as one of his primary targets. The Titan's failed to use Wright properly last year, but with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains on board that should change.  They are already looking to make Wright a featured part of their offense in 2013, and considering Kenny Britt's injury history and off-field issues, Wright could eventually sneak past Britt into the number one receiver slot on then depth chart.  Target Wright as a sleeper this year, and you'll likely reap the rewards.

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