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Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickup: WR Justin Hunter

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By @RoKnowsDFS

justin hunter tennessee titans wr wide receiver

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Ever since his collegiate days with the Tennessee Volunteers, Justin Hunter has received comparisons to Pro Bowl WR A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals. They’re both 6-foot-4, both weigh within the 205-210 pound range, and both possess outstanding athletic ability to complement their long and lean frames.

However, Hunter is still extremely raw in regards to his overall football ability while Green entered the league already polished, and the latter has quickly developed into one of the most dominant wideouts in the NFL. While this may not sound like a glowing endorsement to employ Hunter’s services in Week 6 and beyond, he may be ready to flash stronger signs of his sky-high upside moving forward.

In his week five matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Hunter had an explosive 75-yard touchdown reception and finished with three catches for 99 yards. This may seem like the “one big play a day” norm that Hunter has been able to show so far, but there was a significant increase in the number of snaps he played.

Through Week 5, Hunter was averaging 47 snaps per game. However, he played 66 total snaps against the Browns on Sunday in a conscious effort by Ken Whisenhunt to get Hunter more involved in the team’s offense. The increase in snaps also helps to confirm the rumors going around that Hunter was moving ahead of Nate Washington on the Tennessee Titans‘ WR depth chart. Moving forward, barring any injuries, there is no reason for the Titans to go in reverse from this current direction.

Over the next three weeks, the Titans will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans. All three of those teams have shown deficiencies in regards to defending wide receivers, with Jacksonville and Washington showing the most egregious problems. Currently, the Jaguars are ranked dead last and the Redskins are ranked 27th in regards to points given up to opposing WRs. This bodes extremely well for Hunter, who appears to be gaining more confidence each week, and his next two games should help him produce the best stat lines thus far in his young career.

Even if Jake Locker can’t play against Jacksonville due to a concussion, backup Charlie Whitehurst seems more than capable of finding Hunter on at least 2-3 deep passes and a potential score. Therefore, I strongly recommend putting a waiver wire claim on Hunter now before he has more games with around four catches, close to 100 yards and a TD.

His potential value is even greater in standard leagues, where points-per-reception aren’t calculated. However, it’s quite possible that Hunter’s targets may increase along with his confidence, and his value in PPR leagues will improve as well. If you’re in need of a replacement at the WR3 or flex position, then Hunter is your answer and there’s no need to question it. Go pick him up in your league immediately.

Roje Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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