RADIO
With C.J. Anderson dealing with an ankle injury, Week 14 against the Oakland Raiders could have been Ronnie Hillman’s chance to shine as the Denver Broncos main running back. Unfortunately, Hillman is dealing with an injury of his own which caused him to miss practice on Wednesday.
Hillman is dealing with a foot injury, which isn’t said to be serious, but anytime a player misses practice this time of year it is certainly noteworthy.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak says he is “hopeful” both Anderson and Hillman play this week, but that seems unlikely. It actually sounds like Hillman still has a much better chance to play than Anderson at this point in time.
Thus far this season Hillman has rushed the ball for 643 yards on 157 carries for an average of 4.1 yards per carry. He has scored six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Anderson has averaged 4.3 yards per carry with 538 yards on 124 rushes. He has three touchdowns.
The Arizona Cardinals have wasted no time making a decision on their running backs this week. Andre Ellington has already been ruled out for Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings, which means rookie David Johnson will once again carry the load.
Some would argue that even if healthy, Ellington has no business starting over Johnson. Ellington only has 36 rushes thus far this season for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Johnson has 57 carries for 238 yards and four touchdowns on the road. However, it’s the rookie’s receiving ability that really sets him apart. He has 21 receptions for another 262 yards and an additional four touchdowns through the air.
Ellington can be dropped from all redraft leagues right now. Johnson, however, should be considered a must-start RB1 against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
Speaking of players who have little to no fantasy football value right now, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Matt Schaub did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee and shoulder injury, and a concussion.
With Schaub out, Jimmy Clausen is taking all of the reps in practice for the Ravens. I’ll keep this simple for you: avoid starting any player on the Baltimore Ravens roster this week.
Not only may the Ravens be down to their third string quarterback, they are going up against the Seattle Seahawks this week. The Seahawks will undoubtedly load the box and force the Ravens to throw the football.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens were shut out on Sunday.
