Week 3 Pickups: Breakout Waiver-Wire Players You Must Claim

For fantasy football owners, the waiver wire is a weekly opportunity to fill holes throughout a roster.

As the season progresses and injuries pile up, getting the right player on roster can oftentimes be the difference between a trip to the playoffs and your league's basement.

Week 2 alone saw injuries to New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte and New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw. 

It also saw the resurfacing of some lingering injuries, including Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin's hip and Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles' knee. 

As Week 3 rapidly approaches, you may desperately be looking to replace any one of those players. Or, you may just be one of those unfortunate souls who drafted Chris Johnson.

For that reason, it's important to decipher which of these early season breakout players can actually stretch those performances throughout a 16-game season. 

With that in mind, here's a look at a few breakout guys you need to claim before it's too late. 

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens

After essentially splitting the targets last season with fellow tight end Ed Dickson, almost every analyst assumed the same would happen in 2012.

Well, that's simply not the case. Through two games, Pitta has been nothing short of sensational, catching 13 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. What's more, he leads the team with 23 targets, a figure that is nearly triple that of Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. 

With tight end being such a fluky position on a week-to-week basis, Pitta should be a top claim for every needy owner. He won't continue getting 10-plus targets per week, but this level of production isn't an anomaly. 

Danny Amendola, WR, St. Louis Rams

If your waiver period has already passed, Amendola is gone. Following a Wes Welkerian performance last week (15 REC, 160 YDS, 1 TD) against the Washington Redskins, the 26-year-old was atop of everyone's "must-have list."

However, if your waiver period does not process until Thursday, jump on putting a claim in or using some of your free-agent acquisition budget on Amendola. 

Just, please, do not expect the third-year veteran to ever match his performance from last week. Amendola is a utility player, a guy who can do nearly everything you ask him to do well, but he's not the most physically gifted receiver in the league. 

There is a reason he had just three receptions in the second-half when the Redskins keyed on him defensively.

Amendola is definitely a worthwhile pickup and a must-own in all formats. I would just beware of making him an every-week start outside of PPR leagues or leagues that reward points for return yardage.

Mikel Leshoure, RB, Detroit Lions

Though Leshoure doesn't exactly fit the mold of a "breakout" player quite yet, it's possible that he's atop your waiver radar as early as next week. 

A second-year back out of Illinois, Leshoure has been a trendy sleeper going the whole way back to the preseason.

Nonetheless, that still hasn't helped his ownership percentage. As it currently stands, Leshoure is owned in just 20 percent of ESPN.com standard leagues.

Considering Jahvid Best's recovery from concussions is still ongoing and current starter Kevin Smith's litany of injuries throughout his career, Leshoure could be the Lions' focal back sooner than you think.

It's unclear whether he will have the skill-set to manage that responsibility, but if you have the roster space, jump on him before everyone else gets the chance.

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