We have made it. It's the final week of the fantasy football season, with championship glory just one Sunday away.
For those who are still in the mix for the championship, congratulations. And for those of you who were previously bounced from championship glory, you, my friends, are incredibly dedicated to even be reading this column right now.
Which leads to the message I want to share as we conclude another season writing in this space: Thank you. Thanks to all of you who read this column with enthusiasm and dedication each week. I don't need to expound too much upon the virtues of the waiver wire: it's an essential tool in allowing you to achieve your goal of winning a fantasy championship. There's no shortage of players who went undrafted (on average) this year that helped catalyze your run, be it Phillip Lindsay, Nick Chubb or Tyler Boyd.
Perhaps a savvy player in your league (or a supremely loyal Broncos, Browns or Bengals fan) snagged one of those players in the draft, but more likely you found them via the waiver wire. Every year, you can count on players emerging from unlikely sources and into fantasy relevance, and you can also count on them being covered in this space.
Thank you for continually making this column a highlight to write each week.
And for one last run this season, here's the Week 17 ESPN Fantasy waiver-wire adds of note.
Reminder: players must be available in more than 50 percent of leagues on ESPN.com to be eligible for this column.
C.J. Anderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams (21.2 percent): When Todd Gurley II was declared out for the Rams just prior to kickoff in Week 16, a flurry of questions arose as to whom to replace him with. The answer was Anderson, who was brilliant in running for 167 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. We'll see whether or not Gurley returns in Week 17 -- the Rams still have plenty to play for -- but if he does not, Anderson is the clear top add of the week.
Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (24.0 percent): Foles continues to be sensational when the Eagles need him most, posting 471 yards in Week 16 to help keep Philly's playoff hopes alive. With tons to play for and an offense that is clearly clicking, he's the top quarterback add of the week. Ultimately, he has as good of a shot at a monster performance as any other signal-caller who could be added this week.
Rod Smith, RB, Dallas Cowboys (2.3 percent): This is where things can get hairy late in the season, as the Cowboys are locked into the fourth seed in the NFC for the playoffs, rendering their Week 17 outing with the Giants as inconsequential toward the postseason. Presumably, the Cowboys will consider cutting the workload of some of their starters. If we get word that Ezekiel Elliott could even sit in Week 17, Smith is the next man up.
Alfred Blue (30.7 percent) and D'Onta Foreman (4.6 percent), RBs, Houston Texans: It may be that Lamar Miller returns to the lineup in Week 17, which would render each of the Texans' backup running backs unplayable in fantasy. But if Miller sits, these two will once again be pressed into the co-starting role. The issue, of course, is that they were in a time-share in Week 16 and neither was particularly effective.
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets (5.5 percent): If you've been riding with Drew Brees or Dak Prescott as your signal-caller and are wary of either of them not playing in Week 17, Darnold should be on your radar. He has back-to-back games of 20-plus fantasy points and has looked rock-solid during that stretch. While this is a fantasy column and the point of this blurb is to encourage you to consider Darnold if you need a quarterback, my larger takeaway is the Jets found a keeper.
Chris Herndon, TE, New York Jets (15.6 percent): At a position where depth has been borderline impossible to find, Herndon has emerged as a solid player. He has six games with double-digit scoring this season, including his first career 20-point outing in Week 16. Herndon is a promising rookie for the Jets who brings plenty of intrigue in keeper or dynasty formats, too.
Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts (26.4 percent): Hines is a fun player to watch in the Indy offense, aligning from a variety of slots given his pass-catching ability and nimble footwork. If you're stuck looking for a last-minute flex play in a deeper league, consider Hines, who has 20 catches over his past five games, which offsets his lack of rushing production (just 15 carries during that same stretch).
Dwayne Washington, RB, New Orleans Saints (0.0 percent): Like the Cowboys, the Saints are locked into their playoff spot heading into Week 17, with the top overall seed in the NFC secured. Washington could spell -- or even start in place of -- Mark Ingram II or Alvin Kamara. It's too soon to say with certainty, but it's a smart add for those who have leaned heavily on the top Saints backs.