Week 2 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

The outpouring of NFL action on Sunday was certainly worth the long summer's wait, and the big plays and surprise performances should have had even the most diehard football fans flipping channels to take in as much of the excitement as possible.

This, of course, goes double for fantasy football owners.

Week 1 is the first test of a well-crafted roster's mettle. If your team is lacking, it's never to early to start taking a look at the players available on the waiver wire or start thinking about the players that deserve an early move from the bench to the starting lineup.

There were plenty of standout performances by the time Sunday evening rolled around, so this is by no means an exhaustive list of potential fantasy football studs.

Let's take a look at two players whom fantasy football owners should be quick to add to their rosters, and two more that owners will be happy to already have on their rosters.

Waiver-Wire Pickups

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

It's understandable that most fantasy footballers don't trust rookie wide receivers, but Carolina Panthers pass-catcher Kelvin Benjamin could quickly change those stubborn minds.

The Florida State standout caught six passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in his side's Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

His touchdown catch was particularly noteworthy, as he was forced to haul in the pass with a Tampa corner draped all over him, as this still from the Panthers' official Twitter account illustrates:

Not a bad start, especially considering it was Derek Anderson, not the injured Cam Newton, who was heaving the ball in his direction.

His height makes him a fine red-zone target and an absolute stud on the fade route, which could mean a fairly significant percentage of his catches going for scores or big gains. There is no guarantee of consistency with rookie WRs, but Benjamin didn't play like a nascent pro against the Bucs.

With an average draft position of 128.6 and a 38.2 percent ownership rate, fantasy owners would be wise to snag this lanky rookie in a hurry. The secret is out after his Week 1 performance.

Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Perhaps this is the year when Jake Locker puts it all together. He got things off to a fine start in the Titans' Week 1, 26-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Locker completed 21 of 34 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

He didn't have to run around much thanks to the team's deep stable of running backs, but his mobility is a plus going forward. He can always pick up an extra fantasy point or two on the ground.

It may seem like Locker has already had plenty of time to develop, but Sunday's contest was just his 19th start in the NFL.

Locker is lucky to be working under the tutelage of head coach Ken Whisenhunt, whose offensive schemes helped San Diego Chargers signal-caller Philip Rivers return to prominence in 2013.

"Jake works hard," Whisenhunt told The Tennessean's David Climer in late June. "He's done a great job as far as studying the offense and understanding his reads. He's really done a good job with a lot of little things—his footwork, his techniques."

With a paltry 5.0 percent ownership rate, Locker is available in many fantasy leagues. He definitely isn't a starting-caliber fantasy QB just yet, but it wouldn't hurt to stash him on the bench and see if he continues to develop.

Breakout Candidates

Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

There were a multitude of big plays on Sunday, but New York Jets running back Chris Ivory's was one of the best, and this makes him a breakout fantasy star from Week 1.

The rumbling rusher broke free for a scintillating 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 19-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Ivory is known more for his bruising runs between the tackles, but this burst of speed and power shows he could build upon the 833 yards he racked up last season.

Better yet, Ivory is entering his prime at 26 years of age.

The long run prompted Rotoworld.com's Adam Levitan to call him the best halfback on New York's roster:

He was solid, if not spectacular, for the rest of the contest. Ivory's nine other carries went for a total of 31 yards.

Were it not for some interesting play-calling down near the goal line—the Jets' Michael Vick packages left much to be desired—Ivory might have had a few more chances to power his way through for another touchdown.

Ivory is listed as 19 pounds heavier than Chris Johnson, so he should be the go-to back when the end zone lies just beyond the line of scrimmage.

It would be nice to see him get involved in the passing game, but quarterback Geno Smith is still a work in progress, and it may take time to establish Ivory as a threat in this area of the game.

With that said, the images from his gut-busting run will be seared into the minds of Raiders fans and—more importantly—those fantasy football owners lucky to have snatched him up with a late draft pick.

Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints

His Week 1 performance may not have been a surprise to everyone, but it's tough to find a rookie wideout who looked so polished, poised and flat-out dangerous on his first meaningful Sunday in the NFL.

Cooks finished the contest with seven catches for 77 yards and one touchdown. One of those catches went for 32 yards, and his scoring play came on a nifty underneath route from Atlanta's 3-yard line.

Fans should also take notice of his one carry, which he turned into an 18-yard gain. The Oregon State product looked like the ideal jack-of-all-trades skill player for head coach Sean Payton's offense. Cooks did most of his damage in the first half, prompting Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune to spurt out this lofty projection:

Everyone's favorite sleeper pick could turn out to be a fine starting wide receiver in most 10- or 12-player leagues.

Cooks' average draft position settled at 121.0, with a 65.5 percent ownership rate. Not only is he a breakout candidate, but he's apparently still available as a waiver-wire pickup in many leagues.

There is no shortage of weapons in the New Orleans Saints offense, and quarterback Drew Brees loves to spread the ball around. Cooks won't put up big numbers every single week, but he should pick up fantasy points in huge chunks with his breakaway speed.

Fantasy football information courtesy of ESPN.com.