Fantasy Football 2012: 5 Underrated Rookies Poised for Great Fantasy Seasons

To just about every football fan, fantasy football is anything but fantasy.

It makes you the general manager of a football team you get to name. It puts you in charge of making sure the best team is "on the field" at all times. And, best of all, it allows you to feel the intensity of a heated playoff and championship race.

But sometimes, you just have to cheat.

There are players that will surprise people. Fantasy owners across the country are aware of that. However, they aren't aware of who will surprise everyone and break out. I'm not sure either, but I can tell you some underrated rookies who could have great fantasy seasons.

Here are five rookies who have the potential to put up great fantasy numbers.

Note: There are no defensive players on this list, due to the fact that most fantasy leagues use teams and not individual defensive players. 
Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans

Wright was overshadowed by Robert Griffin III at Baylor, but he was pretty darn good there.

The star wideout caught 108 passes for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at Baylor, and he helped RG3 win the Heisman. Wright's big-play ability helped Baylor win 10 games and the Alamo Bowl, and he is ready to help the Tennessee Titans win.

Tennessee's best receiver, Kenny Britt, is unsure about a possible suspension and about possibly missing time due to an injury. Britt will likely miss time, so the Titans will need a big-play threat for their quarterback (whoever that is).

Enter Wright. He has fantastic speed and knows how to break away from defenders and find space to catch a pass. Wright is versatile and can run routes well from any position, which will benefit the Titans and your fantasy team (if you draft him).

Fantasy football teams need players with the ability to haul in a long touchdown pass at any given time, and Wright has the ability to do that. Unless he gets injured, he'll contribute from Week 1 and become a brilliant steal in your fantasy league.

Then, he'll become one of the best receivers in the NFL.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Floyd isn't as fast or explosive as Wright (although he's pretty close), but he has the potential to become the next great Cardinals receiver.

The Notre Dame star caught 100 passes for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011. Floyd has spectacular hands and is the complete package at wide receiver. Even though the Cardinals don't have a good quarterback, Floyd should haul in a lot of passes.

B/R NFL writer Matt Miller thinks Floyd is the most NFL-ready wideout entering the league this year, and I agree. Just like fellow Cardinal wideout Larry Fitzgerald, Floyd can jump or dive for a ball. He has a good frame, will never be out-muscled and will never avoid laying out to make a catch.

Despite his ability to make an immediate impact and to make tough catches, there is a risk to picking Floyd. Arizona doesn't know who will be their quarterback, as Kevin Kolb and John Skelton are both below-average passers. Floyd will have to make a lot of adjustments when the ball is thrown to him, and he'll probably be overthrown and underthrown a lot.

Arizona doesn't have a great offensive line either, which is bad news for Floyd. Levi Brown is terrible, and the Cardinals will have trouble protecting their quarterback. That means Floyd won't get as many passes thrown to him, which is a concern.

Don't make Floyd your top receiver, but target him in the later rounds of the draft. Even though Arizona doesn't have a good quarterback or offensive line, it's very hard to resist Floyd's upside. And because of the O-line and QB issues, other fantasy owners in your league may avoid him.

Which would make him a great steal.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay has a good running back in LeGarrette Blount, but they wanted a bit of an upgrade.

And they got one by drafting Doug Martin out of Boise State.

Martin is fast and explosive with the ability to break tackles and drag defenders with him for multiple yards. He has a lot of qualities that NFL running backs need to have, which is good for him.

According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Bucs head coach Greg Schiano says the battle between Blount and Martin will continue to be wide open until one back shows that he deserves more carries. Martin is considered the favorite to win the job, and he could even get goal-line carries because of his ability to break tackles and fight for extra yardage.

Because he didn't play against great defenses and because he was drafted 31st, not many fantasy owners will target Martin. However, he will probably win the starting job, which means he'll get a lot of carries.

And, with Martin's ability, getting a lot of carries means picking up a lot of yards and scoring a lot of touchdowns.

Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants

Raise your hand if you knew who Victor Cruz was last August (cue crickets chirping).

Cruz started the season competing for a job as the Giants' No. 3 receiver, and he ended up winning the job. Cruz had a spectacular season and ended up helping New York win Super Bowl XLVI. Now, Randle is competing for that same job.

Randle caught 53 passes for 917 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season at LSU, and he averaged nearly 20 yards per catch. Randle has good hands and good speed, but he isn't well-known because of LSU's run-based offense.

Eli Manning is a good quarterback, and if Randle sees playing time, he'll get the ball from Manning. Randle is a good all-around receiver, and ESPN Fantasy sees him as a clone of star receiver Hakeem Nicks. Randle should make an immediate impact, and he could end up being a huge steal.

Most fantasy owners are unaware of Randle's talent, and some are even unaware of who Randle is. Therefore, if you want depth in the later rounds, Randle would be a great steal. Just like most rookies, he will probably start the season without getting much playing time. 

However, later in the season, Randle could be a huge addition.

Stephen Hill, WR, New York Jets

Hill made just 49 catches in his college career, but, boy, were they good ones.

The former Georgia Tech receiver averaged over 25 yards per catch during his career while playing in an option offense. Georgia Tech never had a good quarterback, so Hill rarely ever got the ball. However, with the Jets, he will see the ball more.

Fantasy teams need a big-play threat, and that's exactly what Hill is. He is very fast and knows how to get downfield and haul in a deep pass, as you can tell by his average of 29.3 yards per catch in 2011.

New York has Santonio Holmes, but they would benefit from adding another big-play threat. If Hill gets a chance to play, he will be targeted on a lot of deep plays, and he'll make a lot of long catches. Some defensive backs will have lots of trouble with him, which means he will draw lots of separation.

Hill can lay out for a pass or make a catch in traffic, but he doesn't have the most reliable hands. Since he won't make many catches, don't make him your No. 1 receiver. However, if you want some depth at WR in the later rounds, Hill could be a great target for you.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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Fantasy Football 2012: 5 Sleeper Wide Receivers You Should Target in Your Draft

It's that time of year again! The NFL is back! Oh, and fantasy football is too.

Sorry, but summer's almost over. And it's time for everyone to start doing their homework on their fantasy football draft. Luckily for you, I'll do some of that homework for you.

Every year, there are sleepers at every position who emerge as stars and make whoever drafted them look like geniuses. It happens all the time at wide receiver, and I'm sure it will happen again.

Here are five sleeper wide receivers you should target in your fantasy drafts.

Titus Young, Detroit Lions

When should you draft him? In the middle rounds.

Why should you draft him? The Lions have the best receiver in football in Calvin Johnson. However, that doesn't mean Matthew Stafford can't throw the ball to his other receivers.

As a rookie, Young caught 48 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns. The athletic receiver knows how to get open and make plays after catching the ball, as we should know from watching him play in Detroit and at Boise State.

In addition to Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson caught more passes than Young in 2011. However, Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards last year, will target Young more. He will catch more passes and score more touchdowns in 2012.

Detroit has depth at running back, but they don't have a star ball-carrier. That means the Lions will throw the ball a lot, and Young will have chances to catch passes a lot. Expect Young's stats to be a lot better in 2012, and expect him to catch more passes than every Lions' receiver other than Johnson.

Once Young makes a catch, he can do a lot with the ball. Young averaged almost 13 yards per catch in 2011, and in his final year at Boise State, he averaged over 17 yards per catch. Once his receptions go up, so will everything else.

And that will make Young a great pickup in your draft.

Brian Quick, St Louis Rams

When should you draft him? In the later rounds.

Why should you draft him? Quick isn't as fast as his last name may indicate, but he is a great receiver. The Rams picked him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and are hoping for him to develop into a star receiver for a team that's in need of one.

Now that Brandon Lloyd is gone, the Rams don't have any star receivers on their team. If Quick can use his strength and hands to catch passes, he could become Sam Bradford's number one target right from the get-go. If he does that, he'll have good stats and will become a fantasy steal.

While Young is skinny and uses his speed to break away from defenders after making a catch, Quick uses his strength and tackle-breaking ability. He can easily shed tackles and break away from defenders, even though he isn't very fast (he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds).

If Quick faces a team without a speedy, athletic corner, you should definitely start him. If he is going to be facing a smaller DB, you should definitely start him. There are defensive backs that will be able to contain Quick, but not too many. Once he gets used to the NFL, Quick will dominate and put up a large amount of points for your fantasy team in the second half of the season.

Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals

When should you pick him? At the very end.

Why should you pick him? Jones is a risky pick, but he could definitely put up solid numbers and do a nice job starting some games and adding depth to your bench. The Bengals' receiver got some praise from Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who said that Jones is "sneaky fast" and can catch long passes.

2011 first-round pick A.J Green was targeted a lot by Andy Dalton, who was also a rookie last year. The two helped guide the Bengals to the playoffs, where they lost to the Texans. Jones will probably see some time opposite Green, and, since opponents will have their best DB cover Green, Jones could emerge as a sleeper.

I watched him play a lot at Cal, and he really impressed me. His ability to catch poorly thrown passes, especially near the sideline, stood out to me. Jones is great at making tough catches and getting his feet down in bounds before taking a hit.

Just like fellow Golden Bear Keenan Allen, who will be a sleeper next year, Jones is athletic and can make adjustments to poor throws. He can go deep, so if A.J Green is covered, Jones can sneak downfield and haul in a pass from Dalton.

It's possible that Jones doesn't see much playing time. However, if you are in need of a bench receiver or someone to start on a bye week, Jones could be a possible solution. He has the potential to make an immediate impact for a team in need of another great receiver alongside Green.

Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders

When should you draft him? In the early or middle rounds.

Why should you draft him? Moore missed three games last year and has had some injury problems over the offseason, but he's definitely someone you should target in your draft.

Last year, Moore averaged almost 19 yards per catch and scored five touchdowns on just 33 catches. Moore will be targeted a lot, and with his speed, tackle-breaking ability and athleticism, it's almost a sure thing that he'll make something happen after every catch.

In addition to his athleticism, Moore also has great hands and can jump very high to make a catch. Now that he's played for a year and has experience, he will be targeted more and will probably be Carson Palmer's top target.

Don't draft Moore in the first few rounds, and don't make him your number one receiver. However, he is definitely someone you should target in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth round. As long as Moore stays away from injuries, he will catch a lot of passes.

And, with Moore's athleticism and speed, when he catches a lot of passes, he will score a lot of points.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

When should you draft him? In the early rounds.

Why should you draft him? It's hard to consider Jones a sleeper after watching the way he ended the 2011 season and watching how he performed in minicamps, but Jones flew under the radar and a lot of fantasy owners failed to recognize how well he performed.

Jones has spectacular hands, and he made some fabulous catches at Alabama and with the Falcons. He's also very fast and athletic, just like a lot of other receivers on this list. Jones averaged almost 18 yards per catch last year, and he almost racked up 1,000 receiving yards on just over 50 catches.

While Jones was somewhat inconsistent during the early part of last season, he was dominant in the last few games. In the Falcons' last five games, Jones caught 27 passes for 457 yards and six touchdowns. And, his success carried into the offseason.

ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas said that if he had to pick one player that stood out to him the most during training camp, he'd pick Jones. Yasinskas noted that Jones made some big-time plays against corners like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson, which makes his feats even more impressive.

Jones is a deep threat, and he and Roddy White will create some chaos for opposing defenses. Expect Jones to catch a lot more passes, and expect his numbers to shoot up. It's almost not fair to call him a sleeper anymore, because he could be your number one receiver and you'd still be fine.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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