Markus Wheaton (WR, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues Immediately

Owned in 64% of Fleaflicker Leagues

ANALYSIS: Markus Wheaton was an afterthought in most 2014 fantasy football drafts, going outside of the top 40 at the position, and in some cases not getting drafted at all. He did almost nothing in his rookie season but caught the attention of many following a 6-catch 97 yard Week One. He is a starter on this team, taking over for Emmanuel Sanders,  who had an alright 740 yards with 6 touchdowns last year. Given the departure of Jerricho Cotchery, and no clear replacement at this time (Justin Brown has been the WR3 in the first two games with little success), Wheaton could easily exceed Sanders' numbers from last year - making him the most recent addition to our waiver wire sleepers list.

As he proved in his first two games, Wheaton's success week-to-week is dependent on the coverage against him. In Week One he torched the rookie Justin Gilbert. In Week Two the Ravens did not cover him with one specific player, and as a result he was mostly limited, although still put up nice numbers for PPR leagues with 5 receptions for 38 yards. The Steelers also got him involved on a couple end-arounds in Week Two, something he was quite familiar with in college. He is extremely quick and agile which makes his runs an interesting dynamic addition to his fantasy value. He could very possibly end up with 150+ rushing yards this season (something he did twice in college), which would add some hidden value. He can be a solid WR4 or WR5 on any fantasy team, with occasional flex appeal depending on the matchup, and upside for more in PPR leagues. Go add him to your roster immediately if he's somehow still available on your league's waiver wire.