Fantasy Football Week 3: Underrated Wide Receivers on the Rise

Every NFL season a young receiver emerges into a solid player and a legitimate fantasy football option.

Last season, we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fourth-round pick, Mike Williams, explode onto the fantasy scene, racking up 964 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns and ending the season with 158 fantasy points (in Yahoo! Sports leagues).

Through two weeks of the 2011 campaign, five receivers have already shown glimpses of what they can become in the near future.

Here are five underrated receivers on the rise to help your fantasy football squad.

5. David Nelson, Buffalo Bills

It took a few injuries for the Buffalo Bills' undrafted second-year receiver, David Nelson, to get the chance to show what he was made of, but he's been one of the most pleasant surprises in fantasy football thus far.

With quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing him the ball, Nelson has racked up 149 receiving yards and a touchdown through two games.

Said Fitzpatrick after the Bills' Week 2 win, via Yahoo! Sports:

"

He’s a tough match-up for a lot of teams. He’s a real good, smooth wide receiver. And there is even the touchdown I had to Stevie (Johnson), David runs a great route and is wide open in the end zone. There is some stuff he did today that I expected out of him. He’s a great player and I know that he thinks that I think he’s a great player. I have a ton of confidence in that guy. He was good last year and is taking it to the next level this year.

"

Um...what more do you need, folks? Grab Nelson and watch him blossom behind a quarterback that has proven he's legit.

4. Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

Through two games, the Broncos' 2010 third-round pick out of Minnesota has exploded onto the fantasy scene, catching eight balls for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

He's averaging 20.8 yards on his eight catches and is coming off a five-catch, 113-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Broncos as a whole have a lot of issues to work out, but their passing game should still be solid with quarterback Kyle Orton at the helm.

Oh yeah, and there's an added bonus if your league counts return touchdowns: Decker returned a punt 90 yards for a score in Week 1.

3. Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders

Wow, what can you say about this kid that hasn't already been said in Oakland?

For those who watched the rookie play in the preseason, his breakout performance in Week 2 wasn't much of a surprise. A fifth-round pick out of Tennessee, Moore has made waves ever since training camp.

Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, it's safe to say Moore was electric, catching five balls for 146 yards and a touchdown. He's a gifted receiver who never should have made it to the fifth round of the NFL draft.

Then again, nobody could have expected this.

The Raiders have been looking for a star receiver for a long time now. They may have finally found one in Denarius Moore.

Watch this video, add Moore and never look back.

2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones has 100 yards receiving through the first two games of the season.

Not spectacular, but decent.

But anyone who has seen the No. 6 overall pick play knows it's only a matter of time before he breaks out in the Atlanta Falcons' high-powered offense.

Jones has all the skills necessary to be a handful at the NFL level, and with teams focusing on star wideout Roddy White, he's going to get plenty of opportunities to make a difference in single coverage.

If there is a fantasy owner so out of touch that he's willing to trade Jones for a bargain, trade for him, and do it now.

1. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

I scaled down my expectations for the No. 1 receiver in the 2011 draft coming into this season because he had a rookie QB throwing him the ball on a bad team.

After his performance in the first two games of his NFL career, I'm prepared to ignore any doubts I had about A.J. Green being a fantasy football force.

Through two games, Green has 11 catches for 165 yards. He had a 41-yard touchdown catch in Week 1 and he's coming off a 10-catch, 124-yard performance against the Denver Broncos, including a nifty five-yard touchdown grab.

Start A.J. Green and start him with confidence. He's the next superstar receiver in the National Football League.