Dennis Pitta: Strong Showing vs. Bengals Makes Pitta Great Waiver Wire Option

Third-year tight end Dennis Pitta started off the 2012-2013 campaign with a bang against the Cincinnati Bengals, and now everyone is rushing to the waiver wire to grab him.

Pitta, who totaled 40 catches for 405 yards and three touchdowns last season, racked up a team-high five catches for 74 yards and this touchdown on Monday night against the Bengals:

All of a sudden, the athletic tight end out of BYU is causing some serious fantasy football buzz, and for good reason.

Remember, Pitta did show promise last season. He caught four touchdown passes in his last eight contests through the playoffs, including five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game (yes, I know most fantasy football leagues don't go through the playoffs, but it still denotes progress).

Pitta also had a nice game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season in November (five catches, 46 yards) and closed out the regular season with six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals.

The point is, Pitta not only continues to improve, but also he's developing a rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco, who was fantastic on Monday against the Bengals (21-of-29, 299 yards, two touchdowns).

The 2010 fourth-round pick likely isn't going to be a star, but he should be solid and he's certainly someone worth adding for when the bye weeks come around. Remember, the Bengals allowed just 211.6 passing yards per game last season and a respectable 21 passing touchdowns, so it's not like the Ravens were facing a cupcake defense.

With Flacco rolling and looking Pitta's way, expect the 27-year-old to be a viable tight end option moving forward.

Any questions? Tweet me.