Target "Two Year WR" Torrey Smith in your draft (Zuma Press / Icon SMI)

2012 "Two Year" Wide Receivers

This list contains some hidden gems for 2012

July 19, 2012

In our classic article, Wide Receiver Three Year Rule, we demonstrate statistically how wide receivers often make a dramatic improvement in fantasy football production entering their third year in the league. It is a classic fantasy football draft strategy to target these hidden gems in the mid to late rounds of your fantasy football draft. While the statistical mean, median, and mode indicate the third year is optimum, there is a statistically significant portion of two year wide receivers that have had a breakout season entering their second year in the league. With that in mind, we offer this handy list showing all "Two-Year" wide receivers for the 2012 fantasy football season.

In this list, we have denoted players that have already had a breakout season with a gray background. Since these players have already broken out, they do not represent potential value picks in the mid to later rounds of your draft as they will require a higher draft pick to obtain. However, all other players listed are fair game for consideration and warrant a little further investigation to see if they are breakout candidates this season. To help draw attention to two year wide receivers with upside in 2012, we have highlighted those players with a yellow background.

Table Key:
Yellow Background - Two year wide receivers with breakout potential for 2012.
Gray Background - Two year wide receivers that have already had breakout year.

Other wide receiver lists:
2012 Three Year Wide Receivers
2012 Four Year Wide Receivers

Season Statistics for Wide Receivers from 2010 NFL Draft Player (Current Team) Pick 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year Comment   A.J. Green (CIN) 4 1057 / 7 TBD TBD TBD   Total package at WR.   Julio Jones (ATL) 6 959 / 8* TBD TBD TBD   Very scary if could stay healthy.   Jonathan Baldwin (KC) 26 254 / 1 TBD TBD TBD   Could capitalize on Bowe contract issues.   Titus Young (DET) 44 607 / 6 TBD TBD TBD   Former Boise State star had solid 2011.   Torrey Smith (BAL) 58 841 / 7 TBD TBD TBD   Developing good chemistry with QB.   Greg Little (CLE) 59 709 / 2 TBD TBD TBD   Could emerge as #1 WR in CLE.   Randall Cobb (GB) 64 375 / 1 TBD TBD TBD   Electric talent and return specialist.   Austin Pettis (STL) 78 256 / 0* TBD TBD TBD   Another Boise State star with size (6'3").   L. Hankerson (WAS) 79 163 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   1156 yds / 13 TDs as Sr. in Miami.   Vincent Brown (SDG) 82 329 / 2 TBD TBD TBD   Vincent Jackson's departure opens door.   Jerrel Jernigan (NYG) 88 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Primarily a kick returner in 2011.   Kris Durham (SEA) 107 30 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Fighting for a roster spot.   Edmond Gates (MIA) 111 19 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Ochocinco may have taken roster spot.   Greg Salas (STL) 112 264 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   1889 yds / 14 TDs as Sr. in Hawaii.   Tandon Doss (BAL) 123 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Competing for #3 WR slot.   Kealoha Pilares (CAR) 132 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Special Teams and defense thus far.   Denarius Moore (OAK) 148 618 / 5* TBD TBD TBD   Made impression with new QB Palmer.   Jeremy Kerley (NYJ) 153 314 / 1 TBD TBD TBD   Kick return duties as well.   Nile Paul (WAS) 155 25 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Could see action at TE this year.   Ryan Whalen (CIN) 167 27 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   CIN very thin at WR.   Dwayne Harris (DAL) 176 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Fighting for spot at WR#3.   A. Robinson (WAS) 178 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Former SMU star is on the roster bubble.   Ronald Johnson (PHI) 182 0 / 0 TBD TBD TBD   Second team in 2 years = uh-oh.

* Indicates player missed games due to injury.