1. Zach Mettenberger, Quarterback, Tennessee Titans
The rookie Mettenberger may be just the ticket the Titans need moving forward. Already developing into what looks to be a promising franchise quarterback, Mettenberger is also showing signs that he can be trusted as a fantasy QB2 with upside for the remainder of the season.
The past two weeks have Mettenberger ranking sixth among his fellow quarterbacks in fantasy points. If you’ve been starting guys like Colin Kaepernick, Jay Cutler or even Tom Brady, Mettenberger has them topped. Averaging over 300 yards in his last two games with four passing touchdowns has Mettenberger on track to put up some breakout numbers the rest of the season.
2. Dan Herron, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts
Herron caught eyes last week as the Colts used him to fill in for the void that running back Ahmad Bradshaw left due to his season-ending injury. In the 12 opportunities that Herron was given to carry the ball, he averaged an impressive 5.42 yards per carry, compared to a sluggish Trent Richardson who only managed 42 yards on 13 carries.
With Herron being used to catch passes also as he did last week, we could see the versatile back being utilized the same way as Bradshaw was catching those short-yardage touchdowns moving forward. If this is the case, Herron, who has earned the start, who faces a slew of softer rush defenses and has the potential be a late-season fantasy jackpot.
3. Latavius Murray, Running Back, Oakland Raiders
There was a Murray turning heads last week, and it wasn’t DeMarco Murray. The Oakland Raiders gave Latavius Murray the green light to start last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, and boy did he go off the charts! Not one running back until Murray has been able to score against the stout Chiefs’ defense which Murray did twice before he was sidelined for suffering a concussion. One score came from a major 90-yard run, resulting in 112 total yards from Murray in slightly over one quarter.
Clearly the Raiders’ elder running backs Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are just not cutting it. Therefore, they leave the door open for Murray to break out and have some giant games for the remainder of the season.
4. Jarvis Landry, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins
Landry has been quietly moving himself up the fantasy ladder to the 11th ranked wide receiver over the past four weeks. With how well he is playing, it truly is surprising to see him still sitting on so many waiver wires. Out-ranking fellow wide receiver Mike Wallace by 15 spots, Landry has scored four touchdowns to Wallace’s two during this time period. Landry also leads in targets over Wallace during this four-game stretch. Facing some pass-friendly defenses such as the New York Jets twice, and the Baltimore Ravens sets the stage for Landry to remain on an upswing and finish the season in a grand way in 2014.
5. Odell Beckham, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Beckham started his major breakout this past week and with how dynamically he makes plays, there’s no reason to not believe Beckham won’t continue to light it up for the home stretch. Facing some favorable opponents such as Jacksonville, Washington, St. Louis and Philadelphia, Beckham should continue his hot scoring streak, rewarding fantasy owners very handsomely along the way.
During the last four weeks, Beckham has worked his way up the third highest-ranked wide receiver when it comes to fantasy points. He’s Eli Manning’s No. 1 go-to guy as proven by his 44 targets in the last four games. Roll with Beckham for the remainder of the season and watch those fantasy points just keep pouring in.