For the first time in a long while, there is no consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy football. There are plenty of viable candidates this year: Le'Veon Bell would make a good choice if not for his suspension, Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch are all enticing options. A case can be made for all of them at No. 1 overall.
But ESPN NFL Insider KC Joyner is instead making a case for Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson.
Now Anderson is not being mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick by others in the fantasy realm. If your league's draft were being held tomorrow, I would advise against taking Anderson first overall. He's simply too unproven to be trusted completely at this point, though his upside is considerable.
But at the end of the day, even I must admit that Joyner makes an interesting case that falls just shy of convincing.
Anderson was seldom used in Weeks 1-9 last year thanks to the presence of Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman. But due to injuries, Anderson was forced into the starting lineup in Week 10 and never looked back.
"From that point through the end of the season, Anderson posted 158 fantasy points, a total that was higher than Bell (149), Lacy (137), Lynch (134), Murray (120) or Charles (109)," Joyner wrote. "To be fair, Anderson posted his mark in eight games, whereas Bell and Murray had only seven contests. Even with that caveat, it shows Anderson more than kept up with the top fantasy running backs when given the opportunity last year."
Anderson figures to be extra valuable in points-per-reception (PPR) fantasy leagues this season. The young runner racked up 188 fantasy points in Weeks 10-17 in such formats last year. Overall, he caught 30 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns during Weeks 10-17.
Boding well for Anderson's fantasy value is the likelihood that new head coach Gary Kubiak places a greater emphasis on the ground game. In 21 seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach, Kubiak's teams have run more often than passed 14 separate times. That trend figures to continue with quarterback Peyton Manning staring down Father Time.
"When in doubt, it can pay to swing for the fences," Joyner summed up. "Anderson is not a pick without risk, but as long as fantasy owners treat his selection as more of an investment in the Denver rushing attack, it can be a choice that yields incredibly high returns worthy of the top overall pick in a fantasy draft."
