Fantasy: Which WRs will exceed expectations in 2016?

While casual fantasy football fans are watching the NBA and NHL finals, the hardcore among us are busy researching in an attempt to gain an advantage for the coming season.

Being able to accurately identify which players will improve from year to year remains one of the most important skills in fantasy football, and the sooner you can compile that list, the better.

Prior to the NFL draft, we broke down some of the running backs who were being undervalued. Now let's turn our attention outside the hash marks to locate the receivers who will exceed expectations this season.

Who will exceed expectations?

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends

Michael Floyd

Floyd's 2015 campaign was hijacked before it even began when he dislocated three fingers in training camp, an injury that limited him well into the season.

Once he regained his form, Floyd posted WR1 numbers over his final seven games of the fantasy season, averaging five receptions, 88.6 yards, and 0.6 TDs per contest. Floyd also saw eight or more targets in six of those seven games.

If you extrapolate the stats he put up while healthy, it's easy to understand why head coach Bruce Arians suggested Floyd may have topped 1,500 yards if he hadn't been hurt early in the year.

A knee injury hindered Floyd in the regular-season finale and the Cardinals' two playoff games, but that might help keep his value down heading into 2016. Floyd is currently being drafted outside of the top 25 receivers, but has a great chance to finish inside the top 20 and an outside shot at being a low-end WR1 in fantasy.

Michael Crabtree

After eclipsing 1,000 yards in his debut season, Amari Cooper is firmly entrenched as the Raiders' No. 1 receiver, and has an ADP in the second round of both mock drafts and MFL10s. His teammate Michael Crabtree is going off the board four rounds later, showing how quickly we can forget results from the previous year.

In standard leagues, Cooper finished as the 20th receiver in 2015, while Crabtree came in 23rd. In PPR leagues, Crabtree actually ended the year in 17th, two spots ahead of Cooper.

Cooper did play through a late-season injury, but that doesn't discount the production from Crabtree, who saw a higher number of targets while catching more passes and touchdowns than the rookie.

Upgrades to the offensive line will help the Raiders' attack, but their passing game should remain relatively unchanged with the two wideouts dominating targets.

Yes, Cooper will likely improve in his sophomore season, and if he stays healthy, there's little doubt he'll be the better fantasy player. However, there's also no denying that Crabtree is more valuable than a high-end WR4, which is where he's being drafted at the moment.

Marvin Jones

Don't let the picture throw you off: Jones is now a member of the Lions, sliding into the starting spot vacated by Calvin Johnson.

Jones is best remembered for his four-touchdown game with the Bengals in 2013, a contest that showcased his red-zone ability and teased his potential. Coming off a career year in Cincinnati, the Lions will give Jones every opportunity to step out of the shadow of A.J. Green and top those numbers in Detroit.

There's no replacing Megatron, but his retirement should result in targets being spread out a little more between Jones, Golden Tate, and tight end Eric Ebron.

Tate was a WR1 in fantasy whenever Johnson was sidelined, partially due to a lack of depth in the receiving corps at the time. Tim Twentyman, the senior writer for the Lions' website, predicted Tate will lead the team in receptions, but suggested Jones won't be far behind. That's notable given the disparity between their ADPs (Tate - fourth round, Jones - seventh round) and the fact Jones will likely be a bigger touchdown threat.

Jones gives Matt Stafford another quality option on the outside and may not take as much of a backseat to Tate as people thought.

Deep Shots

Phillip Dorsett - With Donte Moncrief recovering from turf toe surgery and Andre Johnson out of the picture, the second-year speedster and former first-round pick could see a significant increase in snaps. The Colts' passing game will also get its teeth back with Andrew Luck returning. Dorsett is an intriguing investment in the 10th round.

Sammie Coates - Martavis Bryant's suspension leaves a huge hole in the Steelers' receiving corps. Coates will compete with Markus Wheaton for the privilege of starting across from Antonio Brown. The coaching staff has reportedly been pleased with Coates' work in the offseason and interested fantasy owners can get him after the 10th round in most drafts.

Anquan Boldin - The 35-year-old remains a free agent, making him a forgotten commodity in fantasy. Boldin's days as a top receiver are over, but he certainly looked like he could still contribute last season. The only thing standing between him and WR3 status is the lack of a team.