C.J. Anderson Fantasy Owners Should Have Tempered Expectations in Week 11

The running back carousel in Denver continues to turn. In Week 10, it was finally C.J. Anderson's time to shine. However, the Denver Broncos back might not necessarily be a surefire starter this weekend for fantasy owners.

Not only did Anderson have a great performance against the Oakland Raiders, it came at the expense of a foot injury that sidelined Ronnie Hillman. Now, the rookie will be out at least two to three weeks with the ailment, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

So that leaves a window of opportunity for Anderson, right? Well, maybe not.

In the same story where Legwold notes that Hillman will be out, he notes that Montee Ball is set to return to the lineup. Broncos coach John Fox spoke about the potential rotation, via Legwold:

"

Speaks to the depth we have, we've been pretty fortunate with some guys, next man up stepping in doing a good job. ... Tribute to those guys staying on top of their craft.

It's who's healthy, No. 1 first and foremost. We've been evaluating that week to week ... we'll evaluate it again come Wednesday. Doesn't matter how I feel, it's how they feel ... Time heals, we'll see how they feel come Wednesday.

"

Fox was famous for having a tandem of running backs with the Carolina Panthers. It now appears he has yet another puzzling backfield for fantasy owners to figure out this weekend.

Maybe it's to early to tell if the same situation is taking place in Denver, but there's no guarantee for any back. Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports somewhat jokingly notes his best guess for the touches this weekend:

Anderson took the reins against the Raiders with 13 carries for 90 yards along with four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. All told, that's 22.3 fantasy points with just 17 touches. That's great production for a back in only a limited role.

Cecil Lammey of ESPN Denver and Bleacher Report points out the comparison between Anderson and Ball this year:

Those numbers look great for Anderson, but matchups have to be taken into account.

Hillman did most of his damage against a porous Raiders defense that has allowed 130.9 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, Ball faced the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, who rank ninth, fourth and third, respectively, against the run this season.

Both players might get opportunities, but it's clear that whichever player steps up will be the one who gets more touches. Going against a St. Louis Rams defense that has surrendered 124.2 rushing yards per game, Ball or Anderson should have solid days.

If owners are expecting Anderson to take over the role of anything more than a good flex play, they need to look at the overall situation. As the carousel continues to spin for the Broncos, there's no telling who might stay on in St. Louis.

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