10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 2

Dion Lewis, RB, New Engalnd Patriots

ESPN Ownership: 17%
Yahoo Ownership: 16%

I recommend Dion Lewis with all of the normal caveats that come with rostering a Patriots' running back. That is to say, be careful how you employ his services because Bill Belichick seriously doesn't care about your fantasy squad.

That said, Lewis seriously looked good on Thursday night. He toted the rock in LeGarrette Blount's suspended stead for a total of 69 yards on 15 carries, while adding another 4 catches for 51 yards, albeit against the Steelers' porous defense.

Lewis' efforts contributed 8.41 points above expectation in terms of NEP, which is particularly impressive for a running back, whose touches tend to be far less effective and often inefficient enough to result in overall negative contributions. And even though he did fumble, which was subsequently recovered by the Patriots, his work on the ground and via the air should warrant Belichick's attention.

The key takeaway from his performance is how he was used in the passing game. Against tough run defenses, Belichick may be inclined to give him a lot of work through the air instead of pounding Blount into stacked front-sevens over and over again.

The hope is that Lewis can eventually occupy the former Shane Vereen role in these types of games. Based on his Thursday night performance, it's worth a waiver claim to find out if he will.