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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 11: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts and T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrate after the Colts took the lead in the fouth quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 11, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

5 fantasy football sleepers for NFL Week 2

Posted by on Sep 16, 2016 12:00

Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season is in the books and with that, we now know a little more about the potential fantasy value of players. Season-opening performances give fantasy owners a small sample size to work from after a long summer of waiting for the return of fantasy football.

After the opening weekend, a handful of players have emerged as fantasy sleepers that need to be considered. Whether your team is 1-0, 0-1 or you are playing DFS this weekend, these five players could be dark horses to lead to fantasy success this Sunday.

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Jacob Tamme, Atlanta Falcons

The Oakland Raiders may have shut down Coby Fleener in their Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, but the Silver and Black still should be considered as a defense that opposing tight ends match up with favorably. Oakland allowed the third-most points to fantasy tight ends last season, so one game shouldn’t deter owners from exploiting a good match-up.

Jacob Tamme is the Falcons’ top tight end option and was targeted by Matt Ryan in Week 1 more than enough to be worth a look at starting against the Raiders defense this week. With six receptions for 51 yards in Week 1 against Tampa, Tamme has enough upside to warrant a start for teams looking for a potential sleeper tight end this week. Especially if the Raiders defense reverts back to their 2015 form where they had no answer for opposing tight ends.

Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions

Riddick was already a fantasy surprise last week, exploding for 108 yards of total offense in the Detroit Lions’ win over the Indianapolis Colts. He scored big for fantasy owners with 63 yards receiving and 45 yards rushing, scoring touchdowns on the ground and through the air, making a key contribution for the Lions’ offense.

Despite the big day, Riddick is still a running back option with a low start rate who is likely available on most waiver wires this week. With the Lions playing the Titans this week, there is a chance that the versatile pass-catching backfield threat is once again a big part of the Detroit offense. If that is the case, Riddick could post similar numbers against a Titans defense that should see plenty out of passing targets out of the backfield from Matt Stafford.

Riddick is currently a concern regarding concussion-like symptoms. But if he is healthy, he provides a potential waiver wire steal for owners. Particularly in PPR leagues, where Riddick will be of value every week due to his high number of targets on screen routes.

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Tyrell Williams, San Diego Chargers

With Keenan Allen now out for the season, there will be fantasy value in identifying the Chargers wideout who will now receive the bulk of the targets from Philip Rivers going forward. A role that could be filled by second-year wideout Tyrell Williams, who had a career game in Week 1 for San Diego.

Williams had two catches for 71 yards in the Chargers loss against the Chiefs, but with Allen now out with a torn ACL, there is a good chance the San Diego game plan could feature more targets for Williams after his two big plays last week. It is more of a risk to go with Williams than other players on this list, but with Allen out of the picture, someone has to replace a chunk of that lost production. Williams could be that guy and is a player to monitor on the waiver wire for the next few weeks, as the Chargers look to find a player to step up in Allen’s absence.

Tajae Sharpe, Tennessee Titans

A fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Tajae Sharpe was surprisingly the most targeted wideout on the Tennessee Titans roster during their Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings. Quarterback Marcus Mariota relied heavily on Sharpe last week with a high number of targets that has Sharpe’s fantasy stock on the rise.

Sharpe was targeted 11 times last week by Mariota, a rate usually reserved for the best receivers in the league. The Titans coaching staff trusting their rookie wideout early and often as Mariota’s top target this season is a very encouraging sign.

With seven catches for 76 yards on those 11 targets, Sharpe will once again be a featured part of the Titans’ game plan this week when they take on the Detroit Lions. If Sharpe isn’t already picked up in your fantasy league, he needs to be claimed as it appears the rookie will have a target rate this season that will give him plenty of value to owners.

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Cartson Wentz may be an unproven rookie, but he showed that he can pick apart a bad defense. In his NFL debut, he threw for two touchdowns and 278 yards in the Eagles’ 29-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. Wentz looked comfortable against a Browns defense that is one of the worst in the league this year.

More importantly for fantasy purposes, Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich showed they will let Wentz throw the ball downfield. With 37 attempts against that Browns defense, Eagles coaches weren’t afraid to let their young quarterback air it out in his debut. That faith was rewarded as Wentz lit up the Cleveland secondary to earn his first-ever NFL win.

Owned in under 20 percent of Yahoo leagues, Wentz is a deep sleeper that could be set for a similar performance against a Chicago Bears defense that is not much better than the Browns unit he threw two touchdowns against last week. It is a risk to go with a rookie quarterback in fantasy, but if you are desperate for a Week 2 quarterback pickup or in need of a cheap DFS option, there is value in hoping for another two-touchdown day from Wentz in his second NFL start.

About Chase Ruttig

Chase Ruttig is a Canadian sportswriter who covers North American sports for various outlets.

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