The Denver Broncos are looking to bounce back after an overtime loss to the New England Patriots. The team will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but could be without one of their biggest playmakers. After an breakout performance on Sunday Night Football, Knowshon Moreno is suffering from injuries that could keep him out a week.
It was reported by the Denver Post that Moreno left the Patriots game on crutches. The running back is suffering from bone bruises in his lower right leg that is leaving his questionable for Sunday's division matchup. While interim head coach Jack Del Rio is confident that Moreno can still play, the backups for the Broncos are expected to step up in his place.
"Whoever is up is going to play," Del Rio said, via the Denver Post. "We'll have our guys ready to play. Anybody that is up and active, we expect them to be able to play a role for us."
Behind Moreno is a lot of youth. Ronnie Hillman was inactive for his fourth-straight game after putting the ball on the ground twice in 40 carries. Montee Ball could be an option, but he has also dropped the ball twice in 75 carries. CJ Anderson has seven carries on the season. He dropped the ball Sunday, but recovered. Del Rio recognizes that this is an issue the team must begin to focus on.
"We're giving it the proper attention," Del Rio said. "I believe that is something that we can fix ourselves. We control that. And so I believe, as we do that, that we take away the one thing that has kind of been our kryptonite, and hopefully it gets a lot better."
From a fantasy perspective, if Moreno is unable to go, Ball will get the start. Despite the fumbles, the rookie has looked strong as a rotational guy for Moreno.He has 262 yards on the ground in limited game action, but he does have three scores, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He is a strong pass-catcher, with 60 yards on eight passes. He is averaging 7.5 yards per catch.
The Broncos will not shy away from running the ball against Kansas City even if Moreno is out. In the last matchup between the two teams, Ball and Moreno put up a total of 104 yards on the ground while Ball was the better back with two touchdowns total. He is not an RB1 option, but Ball could see a significant increase in playing time.
