Week 17 Waiver Wire: Examining Top Fantasy Football Targets

Not many fantasy leagues are still active heading into Week 17, but some leagues hold two-week championships, and there's always the intrigue of winning some quick money in one-day leagues.

With that in mind, we may as well take a look at waiver-wire players who may be able to help with either your league championship or a little extra cash heading into the new year.

After a full 16 weeks of action, waiver wires are a little barren, but there are some late bloomers at each position to keep a keen eye on.

These players can either be drafted to immediately bolster your starting lineup in a last-ditch effort to claim bragging rights over your buddies for the next year, or for those owners in keeper leagues, to add to your reserves for future use.

Whatever your reason may be, here's a look at one key player—and a few honorable mentions—to snatch off the waiver wire at fantasy football's four major positions.

Quarterback

Eli Manning, New York Giants (34.2 percent owned)

Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Whether you're looking to win your fantasy championship or looking to stash a cheap keeper for next season, Manning is a great option. Ever since Odell Beckham Jr. came into his own, Manning has been reaping the benefits.

New York's quarterback is coming off a 391-yard, three-touchdown performance against what's normally a stingy St. Louis Rams defense. That brilliant game propelled him to 27 fantasy points, ranking third at the quarterback position for Week 16.

Although, that's nothing new, as Newsday's Robert Glauber tweeted Manning's exceptional play throughout this season:

Manning faces a Philadelphia Eagles defense in Week 17 that's been dreadful against opposing quarterbacks all season long. Ranked as one of the league's worst teams against the position, Philadelphia has given up 10 games of 18 fantasy points or more to signal-callers this season.

If you watched how easily DeSean Jackson got over the top of Philadelphia's secondary in Week 16, you can probably visualize the field day Beckham will have in the regular-season finale.

Expect Manning to put up some big numbers in Week 17 and continue that trend next season with a healthy Victor Cruz back in the fold.

Honorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III, Mark Sanchez, Teddy Bridgewater

Running Back

Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings (47.4 percent owned)

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Asiata isn't a burner by any stretch of the imagination. He won't accumulate many yards, but he certainly has a nose for the end zone. After scoring once against the Detroit Lions in Week 15, this ball-carrier delighted his fantasy owners the following week, finding the end zone twice against the Miami Dolphins.

Over the past two weeks, Asiata has combined to score 34 fantasy points. He was the reason for many fantasy championships won and lost (that may be from personal experience).

Considering he has a Week 17 matchup against a Chicago Bears defense that has allowed seven rushing touchdowns in the past four games, expect this running back to find paydirt for the third straight week.

ESPN Stats & Info tweeted an interesting statistic regarding Asiata's ability to reach the end zone:

Keep in mind, Asiata isn't a long-term option for fantasy owners looking to stash players for keeper leagues. He's getting increased carries due to a season-ending injury to starter Jerick McKinnon.

Even if the Vikings decide not to stick with McKinnon for 2015, Asiata won't be his heir apparent, as the team would likely opt for a draftee.

Still, despite his lack of future value, Asiata is a great option for fantasy owners in need of a running back for Week 17. Grab him off the waiver wire and add him to your starting lineup with confidence.

Honorable Mentions: Joseph Randle, Andre Williams, Jonas Gray

Wide Receiver

Albert Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs (0.0 percent owned)

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

Let's go out on a limb and assume Wilson isn't owned in your fantasy league. Yes, this is a very deep sleeper, but there are actually some sound reasons behind this madness.

We all know Kansas City lacks any sort of a presence at the wide receiver position. However, that's slowly begun to change since Wilson's snap count began to increase.

Over the past three games, he's caught at least three receptions and gained at least 53 yards. Week 16 was his strongest performance of the season, catching five passes for 87 yards and eight fantasy points.

Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com tweeted Wilson's efficiency, which shows chemistry with quarterback Alex Smith:

Smith isn't much of a downfield passer. He prefers high-percentage passes on short-to-intermediate routes. That works nicely for Wilson, who has a great deal of speed, is very shifty and a danger in space.

Wilson was the receiving option of several bubble screens against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, and that should continue in the season's final week.

Kansas City faces off against the San Diego Chargers in Week 17, and that's great news for Wilson's (soon-to-be) owners. San Diego has given up more than 100 yards in 12 games—and a total of 16 touchdowns—to opposing wide receivers in 15 games this season.

Honorable Mentions: Charles Johnson, Kenny Stills, Harry Douglas

Tight End

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (33.6 percent owned)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

If Mark Sanchez was looking for a security blanket, he sure found one in Ertz in Week 16. The struggling quarterback looked for his big tight end early and often, connecting with him 15 times for a total of 115 receiving yards. Ertz was fantasy gold and PPR platinum.

ESPN Stats & Info tweeted the relevance of the tight end's big day in Week 16:

Unfortunately, it took Philadelphia a long time to properly utilize this weapon, but now is better than never. Ertz was a reliable target and allowed more efficiency from the quarterback position—something the Eagles have been lacking all season long—when he was targeted more frequently.

In Week 17, Ertz faces off against the Giants. New York wasn't able to contain Rams tight ends Lance Kendricks and Jared Cook, who combined for seven receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown in Week 16. Expect another big outing from Ertz if he's targeted anywhere near as frequently.

Being a younger player who's just now finding his niche in Philadelphia's offense, Ertz could be considered a long-term option for fantasy owners who are allowed multiple keepers entering a new league year.

Honorable Mentions: Scott Chandler, Jordan Cameron, Mychal Rivera

All fantasy football statistics and ownership information courtesy of ESPN.com standard scoring leagues and current as of December 23 at 2 a.m. ET.