Fantasy Football 2013: Underrated Wide Receivers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

You have your Calvin Johnsons. You have your A.J. Greens and your Dez Bryants. They are all elite fantasy wide receivers who are highly coveted for every owner out there.

But what about some of the more overlooked guys?

I feel like there are a handful of very strong, fantasy producing guys at the wideout position that people seem to often forget about when considering adding them to their fantasy teams. Having said that, let’s remind some fantasy owners out there that the following players are out there and warrant your attention.

Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills: Yes, I am a Bills fan, but even if I wasn’t, Johnson would be on the list. Why? Well, let’s see. Johnson has caught at least five touchdown passes and has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the past three seasons. That is particularly impressive when you look at some of the quarterbacks that were throwing him the ball during that span. I mean, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards aren’t exactly ideal starting quarterback options. While he may not ever get you that monstrous 10-catch, 200-yard, two-touchdown game, for the most part, you know what you are getting with Johnson. He has been targeted at least 135 times in each of the past three seasons, so quarterbacks clearly know who the top guy on the outside is. And even when he doesn’t manage to find the end zone in a game, he is still a pretty safe bet for six catches for around 75 yards. First round draft pick EJ Manuel should eventually be the starting quarterback at some point this season, which benefits Johnson. As long as Manuel can work on his second and third reads and his mechanics, I’m sure he and Johnson will be hooking up quite often.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs: Bowe just recently announced that he will lead the league in receptions and touchdowns this season. Call me crazy, but I could definitely see it. Look, I have always been a big believer in Bowe’s talent. I have constantly told people that he is one of the most skilled wideouts in the game, but his situation hinders him a bit. I think this is the year Bowe puts it all together and absolutely dazzles. The best quarterback Bowe has ever been paired with is Matt Cassel, who currently doesn’t even have a starting job right now. Still, back in 2010, Bowe caught 72 balls for 1,162 yards and a whopping 15 scores, which, you guessed it, led the league. So clearly he has the skill to back up his bold prediction, and with newly acquired Alex Smith and a head coach that loves to throw the ball in Andy Reid, Bowe could go off in 2013. Remember, the last time Reid had a legitimate number one wideout on his team, Terrell Owens caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 scores. Expect Bowe to be in the mix quite a bit.

Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trivia time. Which wideout is currently tied for ninth in touchdowns over the past three seasons? More than guys such as Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Vincent Jackson. Well, considering you see his name already, yes, it is Williams. Being a diehard Syracuse fan, I have been high on Williams since college. With 23 touchdowns over the last three years, Williams has been serving as the Bucs main red zone target. Williams would be a lot more fantasy relevant if he wasn’t so up-and-down thus far in his career. His rookie year was awesome, fell off a bit during his sophomore year and came back strong in 2012. He is being targeted a lot by Josh Freeman, finishing with target totals of 127,124 and 127 throughout his career. Williams is a big body with great physical skills and is a threat to eclipse the double-digit mark in touchdowns every year. Imagine if Freeman takes that next step like so many people are expecting him to, Williams will benefit tremendously.