Week 16 Waiver Wire: Examining Top Fantasy Football Targets

The fantasy football waiver wire waits on no owner—especially in the playoffs. 

Really, that is great news. It is often better to not engage in the sprint to the wire and gobble up players. Owners who do that are prone to mistakes, while owners who put a significant amount of research into the process often find that their guy makes it through the frenzy.

With playoffs and championships on the line, the Week 16 waiver wire is a hodgepodge of old and new names. Some of the older names such as Doug Martin are a cautionary tale in the same manner a player such as Charles Johnson is right now.

Either way owners can feel confident with the names below.

Quarterback

Robert Griffin, Washington (10.3 percent owned)

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Owners will cry foul at this, but Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III is a great start this weekend. 

Griffin has the starting gig in hand once more after those around him stumbled under center. There is no doubt about it this time, either, as SportsCenter has already confirmed the news:

RG3 made a surprise appearance last week against the New York Giants and wound up with a season-high 15 points, a total that would have been much higher if the NFL's silly possession rules had not turned a rushing touchdown into a fumble.

It gets even better, folks. RG3 next encounters the Philadelphia Eagles, a defense that surrenders the third-most points to quarterbacks. Back in Week 3 that very same unit surrendered 27 points to Washington thanks to 427 yards and three scores from Kirk Cousins.

Recent events give plenty of reasons to distrust RG3. However, from a fantasy standpoint? Owners do themselves a disservice by not throwing weight behind him.

Honorable Mentions: Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings; Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Running Back

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (45.1 percent owned)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers committee back Martin seems healthy, which is a start. 

Martin is available in more than half of the leagues out there for good reason. Injuries and downright poor performance have derailed the season. Last week was a flash of the old Martin, though, as he ran for 96 yards and nine points.

Those nine points gave him that number or more in two of his last three games. The only issue is that 64 of his rushing yards came from one scamper, and he did lose 10 touches to rookie Charles Sims.

The staff in Tampa Bay is in job-saving mode at this point, so if Martin is ripping off major runs, those in charge will continue to give him looks.

Martin gets the Green Bay Packers next, a defense that ranks in the middle of the pack against backs but just last week allowed 23 points to the position. While a risk, he is worth a cautionary add on the chance last week was the start of a return to form.

Honorable Mentions: Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs; Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings; Kerwynn Williams, Arizona Cardinals

Wide Receiver 

Charles Johnson, Minnesota Vikings (17.4 percent owned) 

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It seems most owners have yet to catch on to the fact that Johnson is the No. 1 wideout in Minnesota.

Granted, the Vikings start rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater under center. That is still no reason to shy away at this point as the quarterback-wideout rapport continues to prove fruitful.

As Ben Goessling of ESPN noted recently, Johnson sees more work than a better-known name such as Cordarrelle Patterson:

Johnson now has seven or more points in four of his last five games, with 13 and 16 points mixed in for good measure. The Miami Dolphins are rather strong against the pass this year, although outbursts of 45, 30 and 21 points have been allowed in three of the unit's last four outings.

Owners in need of a spark need look no further than Johnson. His deep ability and trust with his quarterback will pay off in a big way again quite soon.

Honorable Mentions: Harry Douglas, Atlanta Falcons; Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans; James Jones, Oakland Raiders; Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets 

Tight End 

Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens (17.9 percent owned)

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Owen Daniels is back in the realm of fantasy relevancy thanks to a 12-point outburst last weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Make that three double-digit performances for Daniels on the season, although each is separated by a major period of down time. Whether it is injuries or attention going to players such as Torrey Smith and Steve Smith, the veteran has not been his usual fantasy self.

Now is the time to buy in, though. This time of year a quarterback like Joe Flacco calms things down a bit on the postseason push and goes with a reliable guy such as Daniels underneath to move the chains or score in the end zone.

Up next are the Houston Texans, a defense that just allowed 10 points to tight ends. Daniels is in for a clutch stretch on the real and fantasy field.

Honorable Mentions: Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts; Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of 1 a.m. ET on Dec. 16. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.