With the fantasy football season upon us, everyone will be looking at rounding out their starting lineup with a strong contributor. Go scour the waiver wire for these individuals before it is too late.
Marcus Mariota
The Tennessee quarterback is only owned in about half of fantasy football leagues, but Mariota is going to be a hot commodity soon. Averaging 15 points in standard leagues is not going to blow the average sports fan away, but his matchup against Oakland is excellent. The Raiders have allowed 819 yards and seven touchdowns in two weeks as their secondary has been completely shredded. Spot quarterback starts are key and Mariota’s matchup is about as good as it gets.
Tevin Coleman
The Falcons running back has seen a double digit percentage increase in ownership already, but make sure you grab Coleman if he is available in your league. With talk of running back by committee, Coleman's stock rises while Devonta Freeman takes a significant blow. Coleman has racked up 188 yards via the ground and air through two games along with a touchdown. Furthermore, Coleman will tee off against a New Orleans defense that has given up 231 yards on the ground through two games.
Shane Vereen
If you really need to dig deep for a flex option, the pass catching running back may well be worth a roster spot. Vereen only earned 66 yards last Sunday, but received one more rushing carry than supposed workhorse Rashad Jennings. If Vereen gets another 14 carries along with more targets in the passing game, he could be worthy of a start. Moreover, take into account the poor Washington run defense that he will be facing. The Redskins have allowed 249 yards and FIVE rushing touchdowns in just two games.
Will Fuller
The Houston rookie is becoming a popular waiver wire pickup, but he is still available in about 20 percent of fantasy leagues so act fast. Fuller has totaled 100-yards in back-to-back weeks and also has a score. DeAndre Hopkins is going to get his against New England next week, but the Patriots have been prone to sharing the wealth with receivers. The Patriots allowed 218 yards to opposing team's top receivers, Larry Fitzergald and Jarvis Landry, but also 167 yards to the second option, Michael Floyd and DeVante Parker, over the first two weeks of the young 2016 season.
Dennis Pitta
The Ravens tight end was thought to never be the same after multiple hip injuries nearly ended his career, but he persevered and can now be your fantasy reward. Pitta, 141 yards in 2016, is owned in only ten percent in ESPN fantasy leagues, much of that coming recently, so you should be able to find a short term solution to your Gronkowski woes or possibly a long-term tight end answer. Pitta will be up against a Jacksonville defense that gave up a touchdown to Antonio Gates last week.
