The Denver Broncos are dealing with some injuries this week and if Emmanuel Sanders, Julius Thomas and Ronnie Hillman can't play or are limited, fantasy football owners should look at CJ Anderson, Jacob Tamme and Wes Welker as prime start options alongside Demaryius Thomas for Peyton Manning, as the Broncos need to bounce back after a loss and those players have the chance to step up.
The Broncos lost Ball earlier in the season to an injury and that allowed Hillman to step up, but coming into this week both are ailing. Ball aggravated his groin injury, while Hillman has already been out and it could be a few more weeks until he returns. Sanders and Thomas were injured last week and Sanders looks like the more likely option to play. Thomas is dealing with an ankle injury, while Sanders was hit hard on a diving catch attempt and is dealing with concussion issues.
According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, heading into the weekend Ball is already listed as out for the game, while Thomas is questionable and Emmanuel Sanders is probable. For fantasy owners Sanders is the best bet to keep in the lineup, but Thomas likely will be limited or out on Sunday. The Broncos have Jacob Tamme and he is a solid spot starter for the Broncos, as he had the most targets in Week 11 from Peyton Manning.
Thomas is likely to be limited even if he plays and fantasy owners would be wise to grab Tamme as a backup option. Thomas has a solid matchup with Miami and he comes in with 40 catches for 426 yards and 12 TDs this season and if he is out, he will be a big loss for the Broncos if he is out. Tamme was targeted 10 times last week to lead the team and he caught four balls for 31 yards against the Rams. Tamme has just 10 catches this season, but he could see increased targets even if Thomas plays.
The RB situation is fluid, but right now Anderson is the better option over Juwan Thompson. Chances are the Broncos will rush the ball more than they did last week, as Peyton Manning cannot keep throwing the ball 50 times this late in the season. Anderson has had some solid performances this season while coming in for Ball and Hillman and he had 29 yards last week against a tough Rams defense. Anderson added 86 yards on eight catches and that could make him very valuable going forward, as he has had at least three catches in each of the last three games.
Sanders likely will be playing this weekend and it comes after he took a monster hit on Sunday. Sanders has 67 catches for 954 yards this season with seven TDs and he also has six 100-yard games this year. Sanders has been the most consistent threat for Peyton Manning this season and he should see increased targets if Thomas can't play and so should Wes Welker. The Broncos need the RBs to step up and if Thomas is out, Tamme will need to make some plays as the team plays against the Miami Dolphins. They did get a break though with the Chiefs losing to the Raiders.
