5 Reasons to Draft Denarius Moore in Your Fantasy Football League

Oakland Raiders receiver Denarius Moore had a surprising rookie season that saw him emerge as one of the AFC West's top playmakers. 

After battling injuries and Oakland's awful quarterback situation, Moore seemed to get things together late in 2011 and became a consistent contributor. 

Moore could end up being a fantasy gold mine in 2012. Here are five reasons why you should draft him on to your fantasy team this year.

He's a Phenomenal Deep Threat

Moore emerged as one of the NFL's top deep threats as a rookie in 2011. The Tennessee product averaged 18.7 yards per catch, and 26 of his 33 receptions went for first downs. 

Moore was targeted on deeper downfield routes more than any other NFL player in 2011.

He's fast, has great hands and has explosive ability in the open field. NFL Films guru Greg Cosell compared Moore's physical skills to Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Mike Wallace's. I can buy that, though Moore still has to prove himself as a legitimate No. 1 receiver for an entire season.

Carson Palmer Will Make Him Better

Carson Palmer worked with Moore and most of the Raiders receiving corps this offseason. Working closely with the former Pro Bowl quarterback can only make Moore better. 

Palmer still has a big arm, and combining him with a deep threat like Moore will only make each guy more dangerous. Palmer has even gone so far as to state (via Vic Tafur of SF Gate) that he thinks Moore is "going to be a star."

When a veteran like Palmer gushes over a young player like Moore, you should pay attention because fantasy points could be coming his direction.

He Should Be the Team's No. 1 Target

Darrius Heyward-Bey led the Raiders in receptions (64) and receiving yards (975), but Moore is a superior talent. He just has so much more upside that Oakland would be crazy not to make him the team's No. 1 wideout. 

Moore is explosive in the open field, but he also got much better at running routes and recognizing coverages towards the end of his rookie season. The 23-year-old has also shown a knack for making big plays.

As the team's No. 1 receiver he'll almost surely see the most balls thrown his way.

He Had Decent Numbers as a Rookie

As a rookie, Moore only played 13 games but racked up 33 receptions for 618 yards and five touchdowns. As mentioned, he averaged 18.7 yards per catch and had 26 first downs. 

Those are solid numbers when you consider that he was a rookie who was dealing with catching passes from three different quarterbacks. As a whole, Oakland's signal-callers only completed 60.1 percent of their passes and had a combined quarterback rating of just 79.4.

With a full offseason behind him and a consistent starting quarterback all season, Moore's numbers could explode.

He'll Add Value as a Punt Returner

If you're playing in a return-yardage league, Moore will add value because, according to Steve Corkran of Bay Area News Group, he will reportedly be the team's top punt returner again. That means he will be the team's No. 1 receiver and punt returner—a combination that could lead to a lot of extra points. 

Last season Moore had 25 punt returns for 216 yards, but with more work at it, he has the skills to become a serious threat in that capacity.