Markus Wheaton's Fantasy Trade Value, Season Stat Projections and More

Markus Wheaton did not exactly light up the box score against the Baltimore Ravens. But the sophomore wide receiver showed why he remains an intriguing fantasy play who, at the very least, must be owned in all leagues.

In a 26-6 loss Thursday night, Wheaton caught five passes for 38 yards, adding 22 yards on the ground. The Pittsburgh Steelers' No. 2 wideout has not scored a touchdown, but he has received plenty of targets against tough AFC North opponents.

Week/Opponent	Receptions	Targets	Rec. YDs	Rush YDs	TDs
1 - Cleveland Browns	6	7	97	0	0
2 - at Baltimore Ravens	5	8	38	22	0

Neither stat line looks overly impressive on its own, but he's building up to a quietly productive season. Prorate those numbers through a full season, and he has 88 receptions and 1,080 yards.

He has already nearly doubled his catch total from his rookie season, when he snagged just six receptions buried down the depth chart. With Emmanuel Sanders gone, most of his 112 targets figure to go Wheaton's way.

While nobody is winning this week's matchup because of Wheaton, gaining 60 yards in a rivalry game notoriously stingy on points isn't bad, especially during an evening when Pittsburgh failed to locate the end zone.

Points-per-Reception (PPR) players, who will derive the most value from Wheaton, finished with 11 points for their troubles. Not bad at all from a late-round sleeper of post-Week 1 add.

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He may not have the full support of fantasy gamers, but he and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger feel otherwise.

"Markus is building confidence in himself," Roethlisberger told ESPN.com's Scott Brown, "and that I have in him."

Wheaton always seems to draw comparisons to old Pittsburgh wideouts. During training camp, former safety Ryan Clark declared to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac that the new starter is better than the man he's replacing: Mike Wallace:

"

Markus Wheaton is better than Michael Wallace at everything but one thing — speed. That’s it. He does everything else better. As far as route-running, he’s more polished. I think he has better hands … I think he’s ready to step in and play.

"

Sports Illustrated's Andy Benoit sees another former Steeler in Wheaton:

In terms of anticipated 2014 production, the best parallel could come from his current partner in crime: Antonio Brown. No, Wheaton won't catch 110 passes for 1,499 yards like Brown did last year, but he could mimic the 26-year-old's sophomore rise.

Category	Year 1	Year 2
Receptions	16	69
Targets	19	123
Rec. YDs	167	1,108
Rec. TDs	0	2

After barely playing as a rookie, Brown received a heavier workload with Hines Ward taking a backseat during his final season. Although the small receiver offered only a pair of touchdowns, he delivered yards in bunches.

That's what owners can expect from Wheaton, which makes him more of a matchup play in most leagues, but a solid No. 3 wideout in PPR formats.

As for trade value, it's tough to see him having any this early in the game. Entering the season as FantasyPros.com's consensus No. 50 wideout, he won't suddenly fetch Andre Johnson in return after two solid games, especially since those solid performances didn't feature a touchdown or a 100-yard outing.

He should, however, finish comfortably in his position's top 50, certainly in PPR leagues. Just don't expect star production since touchdowns will be scarce.

Season Projections: 75 receptions, 920 yards, four touchdowns