Austin Pettis' Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 5 Performance vs. Jaguars

Austin Pettis had a strong day for the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, catching four passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the process, he's catapulted up the list of players fantasy football owners need to pay attention to moving forward. 

The third-year wideout from Boise State didn't really hit the fantasy radar in his first two seasons, but after equaling his career touchdown total in just five starts in 2013, Pettis has established himself as an intriguing flex option. 

At the very least, it's clear that quarterback Sam Bradford trusts Pettis to get open in the red zone. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted as much on Twitter:

Following his first touchdown catch, CBS Fantasy Football had this tweet to confirm that Pettis' career is currently trending in the right direction:

That total would jump to six after a 31-yard catch late in the fourth quarter. He now has 22 receptions and four touchdowns in 2013, totals that aren't mind blowing but are certainly worth monitoring. 

Three other Rams—Chris Givens, Lance Kendricks and Tavon Austin—all had more targets than Pettis on Sunday against the Jags, and Jared Cook has shown promise as a big-time threat in the middle of the field. Simply put, there are quite a few ways the Rams can move the ball down the field. 

The pecking order is cloudy in St. Louis, but if Bradford continues to trust the 6'3" receiver in the red zone, fantasy owners will benefit. If wide receiver is a position of need on your roster, Pettis is well worth the add and could be a decent flex or WR4 moving forward.

Follow B/R's Ethan Grant on Twitter.