Colts vs Broncos: Fantasy Start em or Sit em

Peyton Manning makes his second return to Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday to face his former team the Colts. Coming off a week where the Colts had no real fantasy standouts, it may be hard to see a breakout fantasy day from any Colts players. The Broncos, have a prime chance to have some big fantasy players come this Sunday. As usual, let’s look at who you should start, sit, and pick up.

Start ‘Em

Peyton Manning– The Sheriff’s season so far has been clouded by doubt. Rumors are flying that he can no longer throw the ball, and that he’s too old to make accurate passes. What people tend to forget is that these wobbly passes we’re seeing in Denver now were also present when Manning played for Indy. Sure, I think he’s lost some arm strength, the numerous neck surgeries he’s had is most likely the culprit of that. However, the Broncos are 7-0 and you can’t overlook that. Manning’s fantasy season has been less than favorable, at least from what we’re used to, but this week I’d give him a start. He played well versus a decent Green Bay secondary last week, he just didn’t find the endzone. The Colts, as we are well aware have a pretty bad secondary beyond a few players. Peyton may be old, but he’s not too old to miss an opportunity to feast upon the Colts secondary.

Emmanuel Sanders– Presumably, Vontae Davis will be covering Demaryius Thomas in this match-up. That leaves Greg Toler covering Emmanuel Sanders. Toler has been very below average in one on one coverage so far this season, as he’s been getting burned by some pretty sub-par wideouts. Sanders is not a sub-par wideout, he’s a fairly good one. Look for him to burn Toler all day and have a very pleasant fantasy game on the Colts.

Sit ‘Em

C.J. Anderson– At the beginning of the season, Anderson was a fantasy darling, garnering high rankings from fantasy experts. By week three, Ronnie Hillman began to get more touches than Anderson. Anderson, however did have a good fantasy game versus Green Bay last week(101 yards and a TD). However, Hillman is a better back than Anderson and commands more carries in the offense. If you’re looking to start a Denver running back, look to Hillman, rather than Anderson.

Andrew Luck– Yes, you are reading this correctly. You should bench Andrew Luck in favor of someone else, and it goes beyond Luck’s struggles. Denver, statistically is the best defensive team in the league, and their secondary is a hallmark of that. With Luck turning the ball over at an alarming rate, expect him to throw a few interceptions on this very stout Denver secondary. His only upside is if the Colts fall behind early(which they will) then Luck will be forced to throw the ball every play. Even then, it’s a slippery slope with Luck with him turning over the rock the way he is.

Pick ‘Em Up

Vernon Davis– For those who missed it, Davis does play for the Broncos.

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His own percentage in ESPN league’s is only 15.5 percent. You should pick him up because Colts fans are well aware, Peyton Manning loves throwing to his tight ends. I think Davis is still a very talented player, he just hasn’t had a competent quarterback to consistently get him the ball in San Francisco. Manning can and will do that, I believe.

Coby Fleener– Fantasy tight ends, besides the big names, all seem to mesh together. All of them are fairly inconsistent in terms of production. For Fleener, he has essentially been a fantasy non-factor all season, but he played well Monday night versus Carolina(43 yards and a TD). If you don’t own Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen, or maybe Travis Kelce, chances are you need a tight end. Fleener only has a 16.2 own percentage. If you need one, give him a go.

With a defense as good as Denver’s I’d be hard pressed to believe we’ll see a breakout game from any Colts players. On the other hand, Denver has a chance to have some fantasy studs against a below average Colts defense. As always, let those fantasy odds always be in your favor.

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