The Denver Broncos have CJ Anderson questionable for Week 2, but he is expected to start ahead of Ronnie Hillman for fantasy football owners on Thursday. Peyton Manning is fine despite being on the injury report, while Demaryius Thomas, Owen Daniels and Emmanuel Sanders are the best start options for Manning for fantasy football.
The Broncos come into the game after a defensive battle against the Ravens and they are now 1-0 on the season. The Chiefs also won on Sunday and while it's early in the year, this could be a significant AFC West battle. The Chiefs feel they have improved and while Manning is still great, some around the NFL think that he will have a drop-off this season at the age of 39. The Chiefs want to take advantage of that and they may push hard to get the win on Thursday.
The Broncos are hoping that Anderson can be a full go on Thursday night and all indications point to him getting the start. Anderson has been the most effective back for the Broncos dating back to last season and that is one reason why the team was comfortable getting rid of Montee Ball. The Denver Post reports that Anderson will be less than 100 percent for the game and could "lose carries" to Ronnie Hillman this week, but he is expected to play.
Fantasy owners should be mindful of that possibility, but if Anderson is the best option on your team, he is worth starting. The Chiefs defense is tough, but the Broncos are going to run the ball more this year and that could mean more chances on Thursday for both Hillman and Anderson. Ian Rapoport at NFL.com reports that Anderson is "trying" to make it happen for Thursday night, but the "short week" of recovery could make it tough.
Anderson could still be active even if Ronnie Hillman starts and fantasy owners should check out the final injury reports before the game on Thursday night. Peyton Manning was also listed on the injury report for this week with a back issue, but the quarterback said that it was not anything serious. According to Pro Football Talk, Manning said that he had a slight issue early in the week with his back and he added that he has no problems playing on Thursday. Gary Kubiak said in his press conference that Manning is "okay" for Thursday night.
Demaryius Thomas is also on the injury report with a hand injury, but he is expected to be fine for the game against the Chiefs. According to the Denver Post, Thomas has not had any issues and the injury is not considered serious at all. Thomas had a solid debut game this season with seven catches for 60 yards and he will be looking to pad those stats against the Chiefs after putting up a career best 111 catches for 1619 yards and 11 scores last season. Owen Daniels is a solid TE starter despite his game last week, as he had just two catches for five yards.
Check here for more on the Broncos, Manning and Anderson heading into Week 2.
