During the preseason, CJ Anderson was hyped as a fantasy football home run pick in the running back position. Anderson was taking over as the starting running back after Montee Ball was released. The rusher was a fantasy star in the second half of the 2014 season and many expected him to pick up right where he left off. However, that did not happen and an injury might be playing a role.
In terms of fantasy football, Anderson was a bust in Week 1 after the running back put up just 29 yards on the ground and 19 yards through the air. He was actually outshined by Ronnie Hillman who did lead the team in rushing, but only put up 41 yards on 12 carries. This is either a sign of things to come or the result of an injury. According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN, Anderson is being held out of practice due to an ankle and toe injury. Head coach Gary Kubiak told the media that the running back was fine and holding him out of practice was merely a precaution.
Anderson was not the only big name on the injury report. Demaryius Thomas suffered a hand injury while quarterback Peyton Manning is dealing with a back issue. This is not a good sign for a team that failed to impress in Week 1. Kubiak told the media that it was simply just a physical game and he wanted to give other players a chance to recover.
"That was a physical game (Sunday)," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com. "It's hard for guys to recover in this league. You don't practice for a couple days after you play and now we're playing very quickly. It's also something as a pro you've kind of got to get used to. As coaches, you know where they're at physically. Right now, it's about mentally getting them prepared to go into Kansas City and play."
The issue is that fact that they need Anderson to step up and make an impact right away. It is no secret that Manning certainly did not look his elite self on Sunday. The team may have gotten the win, but the quarterback struggled with his passes and failed to get a touchdown throw into the endzone. That is where Anderson is supposed to come into play. Kubiak has been raving about the running back along with Hillman's versatility and how they can be the workhorse players Denver needed. If neither rusher can start to show that, the Broncos will be in trouble.
