Week 2 Waiver Wire: Breakout Fantasy Performers Worth Pursuing

Week 1 of the fantasy football season is always one of the year's most exciting ones as several surprise players inevitably come from out of nowhere to put up big numbers. Perhaps you were lucky enough to nab one of those players late in your draft, but it's more likely that you'll have to go shopping on the waiver wire in order to land one.

It gets tougher and tougher to find contributing players on the free-agent market as the fantasy season progresses, so it's important to strike while the iron is hot. That means jumping on players with staying power right away is absolutely paramount or else you risk getting caught napping.

Here are three players that are likely on the waiver wire in your league, and have a great chance to sustain their Week 1 success over the course of the entire season.

Brian Hartline

Despite the fact that he is coming off a 1,000-yard receiving season, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline got very little love from fantasy publications heading into the season. Hartline is currently owned in just over 28 percent of ESPN.com leagues, but expect that number to jump significantly in the coming days.

The Ohio State alum reeled in nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in Miami's season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns.

Perhaps the biggest reason for fantasy owners neglecting Hartline is the fact that the Dolphins brought in Mike Wallace this offseason. The Browns did everything possible to shut down Wallace in Week 1, though, and it resulted in him catching just one pass.

Wallace is going to improve as the season goes on, but that doesn't mean Hartline can't put up great numbers as well. The fact that head coach Joe Philbin was impressed with Hartline bodes well for him moving forward.

Philbin was particularly happy with Hartline's route running, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Despite the fact that he reeled in 74 balls for 1,083 yards last season, Hartline caught just one touchdown. He has already matched that total this year, and it's clear that quarterback Ryan Tannehill is looking for him in scoring areas.

Teams will continue to focus on Wallace as the season progresses, and that means Hartline will operate against single coverage more often than not.

Pierre Thomas

Strangely enough, Week 1 wasn't particularly great for running backs as New England Patriots back Shane Vereen was the only one to eclipse 100 yards between Thursday's game and Sunday's slate. Because of that, there aren't a ton of running backs out there that are worth taking a look at.

One running back that put himself in position for an increased role moving forward, however, is Pierre Thomas of the New Orleans Saints.

Thomas is a safe, steady veteran, but with so many weapons already on the Saints' offense, it's easy to look past him. Thomas' Week 1 stats don't jump off the page as he rushed for 43 yards and caught four passes for 16 yards, but he made the most of the opportunities he was given.

According to Adam Levitan of Rotoworld, Thomas actually played more snaps at running back than both Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram on Sunday, so head coach Sean Payton clearly trusts him.

Sproles is still the top Saints back to own because of his pass-catching prowess, but Thomas could have some value as a fantasy backup. Many were expecting Ingram to finally break through this season, but he picked up just 11 yards on nine carries, and patience with him may be wearing thin.

Thomas has gotten the job done before in the past, however, and he can do it again. Since Thomas is a good pass protector and he's proficient in short yardage, Thomas should see action on third downs and in goal-line situations in the coming weeks.

Since he is part of the Saints' explosive offense, that makes him worth putting on your roster.

Julian Edelman

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been a favorite of head coach Bill Belichick for several years, but he has never been anything more than a fifth option in New England's offense. Edelman even played defensive back in 2011, so it was tough to predict that type of outing that Edelman had against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

Edelman caught seven passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns, marking the first multi-receiving-touchdown game of his NFL career, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

That may have been a first for Edelman, but there could very well be more to come for him this season. Edelman became a go-to option for quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday based on necessity as the Pats' receiving corps is a far cry from what it was last season.

With Wes Welker now in Denver, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Lloyd released and Rob Gronkowski still injured, Edelman and Danny Amendola were essentially Brady's only options in Week 1.

Gronkowski will be back eventually, and that will take away from Edelman's value to a certain extent, but Amendola is injury-prone in his own right. Amendola missed 20 games over the past two seasons, and he missed time in Sunday's game as well, so the odds are in favor of him getting banged up at some point.

Whatever the case, Edelman is owned in just 7.5 percent of ESPN.com leagues, which is far too low for a guy who has a rapport with Brady.

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