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Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson were full participants at practice on Thursday, but Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said that Juwan Thompson could be the starting running back against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, according to The Denver Post.
In the beginning of the season, it appeared as if the running back job was all Anderson and nobody else. He’s only put together two good fantasy weeks all season long. Even though one of those great weeks was two weeks ago against the New England Patriots when the 24-year-old had a combined 153 yards with two touchdowns, he’s only going to receive a portion of the carries on Sunday. He’s currently dealing with an ankle injury that could still potentially keep him out of the lineup against the Raiders.
Hillman has done well when he’s had the opportunity to touch the ball, except last week. The Broncos defense dominated Phillip Rivers and the rest of the San Diego Chargers. Denver’s offense wasn’t able to help out much, and the running game wasn’t really noticeable. Hillman carried the ball 19 times and only racked up 56 yards. He was averaging double-digit points in non-PPR leagues in the three weeks prior. He won't be worth starting against Oakland in Week 14. He is also dealing with an ankle injury at the moment, but he’s expected to dress on Sunday.
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Juwan Thompson hasn’t proved that he could be a usable asset let alone a fantasy star in the Broncos running game this season. He rushed the ball eight times last week for 27 yards, and only had two carries on the season before that game. The AFC West leaders are trying to find the running game that is necessary to help Brock Osweiler as he adjusts to life as a starting quarterback in the league.
It appears as if it will be a three-man threat in the backfield for the immediate future. This is bad news for all fantasy owners that are beginning or are a week away from their respective playoffs. It’s not safe to start any of these three until one proves they can contribute constantly. Tim Hightower might be a safe pickup since Mark Ingram is out for the rest of the season for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are out of the race and they might simply want to keep Drew Brees healthy, which could mean a lot of carries for Hightower.
