Knowshon Moreno, Julius Thomas Injury Updates
Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) runs after a reception during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos will look to avoid losing two straight games for the first time this season, while the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for revenge and also looking to avoid losing a third straight game. The Chiefs lost to the Broncos two weeks ago, and they lost to another division rival in the San Diego Chargers last week after a perfect game-winning pass from Philip Rivers, who put another stamp on his MVP candidacy with another heroic performance. No longer undefeated, the Chiefs have revenge on the forefront of their minds, and they will have the fearsome fans at Arrowhead on their side.
However, the Denver Broncos are still the favorites, as there is really no reason to believe that the Chiefs are the better team. And honestly, the homefield advantage isn’t going to make up for the loss of Justin Houston, especially with a few star players on the Broncos on the mend.
According to the Denver Post’s Mike Klis, Knowshon Moreno, Julius Thomas, and Champ Bailey are all “moving better” at today’s practice, meaning that all three of them are likely to play against the Chiefs. Bailey was always expected to make his return against the Chiefs this week, but the statuses of the two offensive stars were honestly dicey.
Moreno had an amazing game against the New England Patriots, running for big yardage at will. The resurgent Georgia product finished with 224 rushing yards, but he also picked up a bruised right ankle and was immediately classified as day-to-day. The outlook on Moreno’s chances of playing this week weren’t optimistic initially, but the fact that he’s “moving better” at today’s practice indicates that he will play. I would feel comfortable starting him in fantasy this week, but owners need to be ready to start Montee Ball or somebody else at a moment’s notice (Moreno is shaping up to be a game-time decision).
Julius Thomas missed last week’s game with a knee injury as a game-time decision. After he practiced on Thursday and Friday ahead of the Patriots game, it looked like Orange Julius was a lock to play. However, reports starting on Saturday night and bleeding into Sunday morning stated that Thomas’s knee injury didn’t look as good as before and that he would be a game-time decision. As it was later expected, Thomas missed the game.
He won’t be missing this week’s game, though, and I think it’s definitely safe to start him in fantasy leagues. Thomas isn’t a lock by any means, but his knee injury was only expected to be a one-week deal anyway. The fact that he’s “moving better” seals his chances of playing, since Jack Del Rio stated early in the week that Julius Thomas would play this week against the Chiefs. The elite, versatile pass-catching TE is a premier red zone threat, and he’s always a must-start when he plays.