Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: 2 Late-Round Receivers Worth Starting

Dare to be different.

The biggest mistake fantasy owners make are ignoring the Week 1 matchups. Just because you love all the top players on your team doesn’t mean they should all start off the bat.

Ray Rice against the Steelers…skip it. Chris Johnson on one week of practice….no!

Here are two receivers drafted in the later rounds worth a start right off the bat:

Eric Decker- Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a prolific pass offense and the Oakland Raiders are not going to stop it. The secondary in Oakland took a huge hit with the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha and the secondary is going to be brutal.

Kyle Orton needs a No. 2 behind Brand Lloyd and Decker is the prime candidate with the extraordinary preseason he’s had.

The ’10 third rounder has great speed out of the slot and shown terrific hands in his brief NFL career.

Sure it will be a bit risky considering he caught a grand total of six passes for 106 yards and one TD, but he was dealing with injuries and working his way up the ladder with strong special teams play.

Take a deep breath and give this deep round pick a look as a flex option.

 Jordan Shipley- Cincinnati Bengals

Rookie QB Andy Dalton is going to need a safety valve and this second-year slot receiver is the answer.

He performed incredibly well in his rookie season and will be the top target for the “Red Riffle” as he runs for his life early on.

The Cleveland Browns are weak in the middle of the field and Shipley will effortlessly find the soft spot.

AJ Green will eventually be Dalton’s top target, but right now, the QB will be impatient. He will be trying to get rid of the ball incredibly quickly and Shipley is the guy that is near by.

At least 50 yards and a TD are a likely outcome for Week 1.