Bishop Sankey was a popular sleeper pick in many fantasy drafts this season, thanks to his impressive collegiate career with the Washington Huskies and relative lack of competition in the Titans' backfield. However, those who drafted him expecting immediate production were stymied by Ken Whisenhunt, who refused to give Sankey the starting nod because of his "footwork".
After receiving a paltry 27 touches in the season's first four games, producing 157 yards and 1 TD in garbage time during the Titans' miserable 1-3 start, it seems Whisenhunt has changed his tune and is ready to give the second round pick a chance. Citing improvement, Whisenhunt seems ready to give Sankey the nod as the Titans' lead running back.
With the news coming down that Sankey's reps will increase this week against the Browns, the time to grab Sankey off your waiver wire is now. Sankey has the youth and potential to be a bell cow running back and showed an ability in college to get more yards than what is blocked. Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster are journeyman backs, who are likely to fall into change of pace roles as Sankey's role expands.
The Titans have two games on tap against friendly run defenses (Cleveland and Jacksonville), so Sankey could be in line for some big numbers. Jake Locker is coming off of a wrist injury and Whisenhurt will likely look to lighten his workload against the Browns and their 7th ranked pass defense. Sankey has been made available by impatient owners in several leagues and this may be the last chance to snap him up on the cheap.