Fantasy Football 2011: 10 Wide Receiver Sleepers Guaranteed to Explode

The NFL season is nearly here, and we've almost reached the magical night when fantasy football fanatics across America gather around their televisions and laptops, as what should be another fun and exciting year of pro football begins.

As the 2011 season unfolds, we'll undoubtedly see some "breakout" performers at the wide receiver position; players who come from nowhere to post the sorts of unexpected fantasy production that can put teams over the top and well on their way to a championship. Last year it was the likes of Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills and Danny Amendola of the St. Louis Rams, but the $64 question is, who will it be this year?

In an effort to answer that question, here are 10 wide receivers who have an excellent chance of outperforming their fantasy draft slots—this year's prime suspects to be the breakout bandit of 2011 who could "steal" a fantasy title for your team.

1. Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi hopes to take the "third season" leap this year and build on a 2010 season in which he led all Cleveland wideouts in receiving yards. Massaquoi, 24 years old, had 36 receptions for 483 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns a year ago.

Massaquoi missed a significant portion of training camp and the preseason with a chipped bone in his foot, but was immediately inserted into the starting lineup upon his return. With the Browns desperate for someone to emerge as the No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Colt McCoy, Mohamed Massaquoi, if he can stay healthy, is the leading candidate to do so.

2. Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints

Lance Moore of the New Orleans Saints quietly put together a solid fantasy campaign in 2010, as the sixth-year wide receiver hauled in 66 passes for 763 yards and eight touchdowns, good for 24th among fantasy players at his position.

With Reggie Bush now in Miami, Moore will likely see an increase in snaps and targets as the slot man in New Orleans' three receiver sets, making it very possible that Lance Moore will build on last year's statistics, making him more than worth his lower-end WR3 price tag on fantasy draft day.

3. Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have been searching for several years for someone to be the anchor of their wide receiver corps, and they're hoping they've found that player in second-year pro Jacoby Ford. The 5'9" 185-pound burner averaged nearly 19 yards a reception and scored two touchdowns for the Raiders in 2010.

Ford is a dangerous downfield threat and excellent return man, boosting his fantasy value significantly in leagues that award points for return yards. Jacoby Ford isn't going to crack the top 10, but he's the best bet to lead the Raiders in receptions and yards this season, giving him a fair amount of fantasy value as a late draft "flier" type.

4. Earl Bennett, Chicago Bears

Much may have been made of Chicago's signing of wide receiver Roy Williams in the offseason, but the biggest splash by a Bears receiver in the preseason has been made by fourth-year veteran Earl Bennett, who has reeled in 10 catches for 154 yards in the exhibition season.

Bennett has been locked in as the Bears second receiver and has a rapport with Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler dating back to their days together at Vanderbilt. So, while Bennett carries a lower sticker price than either Williams or Johnny Knox, it's entirely possible that at season's end it will be Earl Bennett who will have shown to be the most productive of the trio.

5. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

One of the stars of the Green Bay Packers victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV was wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's 31-25 win. The 26-year-old Nelson had 45 receptions for 582 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season last year.

Jordy Nelson has emerged as the third receiver in Green Bay, and could easily supplant the 36-year-old Donald Driver as the No. 2 wide receiver in Titletown as the season progresses. With an increasing role in one of the most prolific offenses in the National Football League, Jordy Nelson is an excellent sleeper candidate as a fantasy WR4 this season.

6. Andre Roberts, Arizona Cardinals

The job of starting wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals opposite Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald, will fall to second-year pro Andre Roberts to start the 2011 season. The 5'11" 195-pound former Citadel standout caught 24 balls for 307 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2010.

Roberts has shown flashes when given the opportunity (including a five-reception, 110-yard day against the Cowboys in Week 16 last year), and given that he should see single coverage all day long playing across from Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts should get every chance to outperform his modest asking price this year.

7. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Possibly no wide receiver in the NFL has had a better preseason than Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who has shined while fellow receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been sidelined by injury. Brown, 23, reeled in 16 passes for 167 yards in limited action for the Steelers in 2010.

Brown has pulled down nine receptions for 230 yards and three scores in the preseason, including a 4/137/2 stat line in Pittsburgh's third exhibition game, and appears to have usurped Sanders for the role of third receiver with the Steelers. That may not stay the case, but if Antonio Brown keeps playing the lights-out football he has been playing, this year he's going to be a hard man to get off the field but an easy one to insert into fantasy lineups.

8. Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos

It's been an up-and-down three years in the NFL for Denver Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal, who caught 91 passes as a rookie and then suffered through a dismal 2009 season before rebounding somewhat a year ago. Royal, 25, had 59 receptions for 627 yards and three touchdowns in 2010.

Jabar Gaffney's departure from the Mile High City has thrust Royal back into the starting lineup for the Broncos. While new Denver head coach John Fox will feature a run-heavy attack, Royal should still see ample opportunities for fantasy production and is worthy of a late add in fantasy drafts in the hopes that he can return to somewhere near his 2008 form.

9. Jerome Simpson, Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are counting on a number of young players to step up their games offensively in 2011, among them fourth-year wide receiver Jerome Simpson. The 25-year-old Simpson played in only five games in 2010 but still managed to catch 20 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

Make no mistake the Bengals are going to struggle in 2011, and the offense will certainly go through some growing pains under rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, but with opposing defenses keying in on highly-touted rookie wideout A.J. Green, Simpson should see loads of single coverage, giving him a chance to blossom into a reliable fantasy contributor worthy of a speculative selection late in drafts.

10. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian was once a viable fantasy receiver, finishing among the top 25 players at his position in both 2007 and 2008. It's been a rocky road since however, and last season, in which the eighth-year vet managed only 28 catches, was Berrian's worst since 2005.

There's some reason to believe that Berrian is due for a rebound in 2011. New Vikings signal-caller Donovan McNabb has looked Berrian's way early and often in the preseason, and Berrian had a solid 64 yards with a touchdown stat line in Minnesota's third preseason game. Percy Harvin is likely going to draw the lion's share of attention from opposing secondaries, so given that, McNabb's apparent preference for looking Berrian's way, and his past resume, makes it hard not to envision Bernard Berrian posting WR4 numbers this year and serving a quality depth option for fantasy owners.