2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: 10 Risky Receivers Worth a Roll of the Dice

Taking big risks is one of the biggest components of fantasy football. In order to be successful, you've got to find players who have managed to slide down the board because of injury risk, risk of the lack of touches, or risk that they're not going to develop; and nowhere is that better seen than the wide receiver position. 

With a bumper crop of talented youngsters who have yet to seize their opportunity, or injury-prone wideouts who just can't seem to keep themselves healthy and on the field, there are plenty of players with heavy risk attached to be drafted this season. But who will pay the highest rewards for that risk? 

These 10 guys are a great place to start. Sure, there's major risk involved in trusting them, but given their upside, they'll prove to be well worth the chance. 

10. Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers

Nelson's biggest issue coming into this season is that no one's quite sure what his role is going to be.

Will he be the fourth wideout in Green Bay like he was for much of the regular season, or will he be the force of nature who sliced and diced opponents in the playoffs? 

Given his unique blend of size, speed and hands, I'm leaning towards the latter. Donald Driver's not getting any younger, and James Jones is as inconsistent as ever, and the door is wide open for Nelson to entrench himself as the Packers' second wideout in a pass-heavy offense. 

He'll be there late enough that your risk is minimal, but he's still a serious bust risk if he doesn't stake a claim to the second wideout slot.

9. Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions

Nate Burleson isn't going to be a star anymore, plain and simple. He's lost his burning speed deep and he's going to be no better than the second or third wideout in Detroit, depending on how rookie Titus Young fares. 

But with as much as the Lions throw the football, Burleson's value goes up quite a bit. He's going to have ups and downs, but the ups have the potential to be excellent alongside Calvin Johnson.

The wideout could lose playing time to Young, but even in the slot, there's enough potential upside here to make him worth a late-round pick. 

8. Jacoby Ford, WR, Oakland Raiders

Where to start with this young speed demon? He's got serious injury questions surrounding his broken hand, and hasn't really shown an ability to stay healthy as of yet in the NFL.

Ford struggled with inconsistency last season, and he's hardly assured of success this year. 

But given how well he performed at times last season, Ford's upside is tremendous. He's the most talented young wideout in Oakland, and figures to give Jason Campbell a fantastic deep option with his speed and hands.

Some people say he'll break out like DeSean Jackson, but even if he doesn't, his big weeks will make him worth a late-round grab. 

7. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Sanders had a breakout postseason last year, emerging as one of the better secondary options behind Mike Wallace in Pittsburgh's receiving corps.

He's a burner without a ton of size, and is currently locked in a fierce competition with Antonio Brown and the immortal Hines Ward to determine the second receiver in Pittsburgh.

If that's not enough risk, he's undergone two procedures on his feet this summer, and while he claims he'll be ready in time for the regular season, there's a chance he's not. 

If he beats out Brown, there's serious value here with his speed and hands. As long as he's healthy, he'll be a surprisingly productive receiver as Ward's heir apparent in Pittsburgh. There's plenty of risk, but with his skills, the upside is immense. 

6. Sidney Rice, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Rice has a glut of red flags surrounding him next season. He struggled to come back from a hip issue last season which cost him eight weeks, and left him inconsistent the rest of the way in Minnesota, which could flare up again.

He's joining a Seahawks team where the quarterback situation is equivalent to your average Pop Warner team's, and the offense figures to be sporadic at best.

He's also the best wideout in Seattle by a mile, meaning he can expect regular attention from teams' best defenders. 

But Rice has the talent to make him worth the risk. While Seattle's offense isn't going to be great, much of it is going to run through the talented Rice, who figures to get the lion's share of looks. He's by far the best option in Seattle next season at any position, but that also comes with serious risk.

5. Brandon Lloyd, WR, Denver Broncos

Lloyd enjoyed a breakout season in 2010, becoming the top wide receiver in the sport and emerging as a devastating deep threat.

But, he comes into this season with the potential to regress back to his previous levels, as he's never had anything near the success he found last season in his career. 

On top of that, many fear that Tim Tebow's potential emergence as the starter in Denver will spell deep trouble for Lloyd's deep ball-oriented game, as the second-year signal-caller's scattershot arm figures to be less than conducive to his game. 

But, while Lloyd may regress, he showed a lot of signs that he's finally living up to his considerable potential in Denver. Even if Tebow winds up starting, Lloyd should have serious value, and while he won't be as good as last season, he should be plenty good enough to make him worth the risk.

4. Danario Alexander, WR, St. Louis Rams

Alexander has the talent to be the top dog in St. Louis; he's big, rangy, has fantastic hands and thrived when healthy last season.

But health is precisely the problem and the risk with Alexander. He was incapable of staying healthy last year, and now faces an incredibly deep wideout corps to fight through to become top dog.

The second-year wideout has the skills to do it, but there are big risks attached to grabbing him, even in the later rounds because of the injury concerns. 

3. Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans

Britt's talent is undeniable; the 41-point explosion he dropped in Week 7 is proof enough of his physical gifts and his ability to harness them.

But everything else about the Titans' star wideout screams high-risk.

He's struggled with consistency and fitness issues throughout his career, he's battled hamstring issues in the past, and he might be the dumbest character risk in the NFL, with all of the ridiculous arrests he's been involved in recently. 

The talent is there for a massive season from Britt, and as long as he stays out of legal trouble for a few months, he should prove well worth the risks involved. 

2. Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers

If football were based solely on talent, Crabtree would be a lock as one of the top six wideouts in the NFL. His combination of size, speed and hands make him a fantastic wideout prospect heading into his third year.

But unfortunately, talent is only half the battle, and Crabtree's maddening inconsistency through his first two seasons makes him an incredibly high-risk investment for owners, particularly when you consider where you have to take him in the draft to get him. 

Add to the inconsistency serious questions under center and you've got a guy who's the ultimate high-risk, high-reward pick. Personally, I like him this season; he's got a full year under his belt, and Jim Harbaugh's offense figures to fit his skills like a glove.

But be wary of his inconsistency, as there's a good chance he stays a hot-and-cold player for one more year.

1. Austin Collie, WR, Indianpolis Colts

Collie would be assured of solid No. 2 wideout status in just about any league in fantasy football were he able to keep himself on the field. He's emerged as a devastating weapon alongside Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne in Indy, and is capable of putting up major numbers. 

Why is he a risk then? Simple: he can't stay healthy. Collie battled concussion issues all of last season, and they have a nasty habit of becoming more and more frequent the more often you sustain them in your career. 

As long as Collie's healthy, he'll be incredibly valuable, but he's also a tremendous risk this season. 

So far this preseason, Collie hasn't shown signs of the injury issues, and I'm inclined to believe that as long as he's not concussed, he's more than worth a roll of the dice, even in the middle rounds of your draft.

His upside is tremendous, and he's capable of being a fantastic second wideout for you, as long as he's healthy.