Montee Ball's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 3

Fantasy owners who took Montee Ball aren't exactly patting themselves on the back after two games, but he's shown with every carry the potential he brings to the Denver Broncos backfield.

The second-year back out of Wisconsin took over the starting job after Knowshon Moreno's departure, and high hopes were bestowed upon the 23-year-old after a promising rookie season. Feature backs in Peyton Manning offenses have traditionally excelled due to obvious reasons, and Ball figured to be no different entering 2014.

It wasn't surprising, then, to see him fly off draft boards at an average of No. 15 overall according to FantasyPros.com. Also far from surprising was his strong debut, when he took 23 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown—along with 16 receiving yards—in a win over the Colts.

But Ball owners weren't awarded with a repeat performance. He had 12 carries for 60 yards and 29 yards receiving in Week 2 against the Chiefs—not bad at all, but a pedestrian performance given his RB1 status.

Things could get worse before they get better, as the Broncos head to Seattle to face the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week 3 and play against a daunting Cardinals defense in Week 4. 

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But this offense, as it has shown over the course of time, can put up numbers against any unit. And that will inevitably result in production for Ball. 

Of course, the Broncos have been far from perfect running the ball to start 2014. Ball averaged less than three yards per carry in Week 1, but a much more productive performance in Week 2 had Manning impressed, per the Denver Post's Troy Renck:

As a whole, Ball has been more of a menace in the run game as he has transitioned into his second year in the league. He has developed into a bruiser between the tackles, breaking away from contact more than ever as Chad Parsons of Footballguys notes:

Ball's value in the Broncos offense had a low ceiling in 2013 with Moreno assuming most of the carries in the backfield, but with 686 rushing yards in his rookie season came immense hype surrounding what he could do with the starting job in 2014. So far his stats haven't taken off, but his play has not disappointed.

As Albert Breer of NFL Network noted, he could take the Broncos offense to a whole new level if he can take the next step:

He hasn't surpassed 70 rushing yards yet this season, and it's hard to imagine him doing so in Week 3 against a treacherous Seahawks front seven. After the success Philip Rivers had against Seattle's secondary last weekend, Manning will likely try to establish the passing game first and foremost.

But if it's established, the red-zone and goal-line carries will inevitably come for Ball.

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At this point, it's really all up to Ball as far as how dominant he'll be in fantasy. The opportunities are going to come in this offense, and the early signs are that he's more than capable of proving the punch they need in the backfield.

C.J. Anderson turned some heads with a number of productive runs against the Chiefs in Week 2, but there's no doubt who the main back is in Denver.

As long as he's the guy taking most of the handoffs from Manning, the sky will be the limit for Ball when it comes to his fantasy output. For that reason, don't expect pedestrian performances like Week 2 to be the norm.

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