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Fantasy Football: Broncos RB C.J. Anderson or Bengals’ dynamic duo?

By Dan Salem

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Running back is a fickle Fantasy Football position, so does the star of the Denver Broncos’ backfield top the two rushers from the Cincinnati Bengals? Two sets of fantasy football players; who would you rather have? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD:

Fantasy football season is upon us and the interwebbings are flooded with rankings, drafts, sleepers and busts. But that doesn’t get at the meat of fantasy decisions, the real deal choices you must master to win your league.

I’ll supply a hypothetical fantasy football trade and you tell me which side wins the deal. These deals are isolated from league settings or roster construction. They are strictly either-ors.

Would you rather have…

A) C.J. Anderson
or
B) Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard

Denver’s top running back on the depth chart, C.J. Anderson, is arguably a top 10 overall player in fantasy this season. He was undeniably special once he got a chance last season. I am worried though. I am worried about the remaining running back depth chart for the Broncos.

According to a story via Broncos Insider Mike Klis, Anderson and Montee Ball have been splitting first-team reps early in training camp. Ball was awarded the first crack at the starting job last season and squandered it, but we know the team likes his talent.

And there also remains Ronnie Hillman, who had a great season in his own right before going down with an injury. So is Anderson really a first-round fantasy guy if he isn’t a slam dunk first-down guy for Denver?

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) celebrates with running back Giovani Bernard (25) after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the first quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

On the other side of this deal are a pair of Bengals backs, Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard. It is hard to know who out of the two of them will get the largest portion of carries either. Early signs seem to indicate it will be Hill, but Bernard is the home-run threat.

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It hurts to take up two fantasy roster spots with Cincinnati backs, but it’s nice to have the handcuff. Of course, it also hurts to not be sure week to week which player will actually be the handcuff.

I lean toward taking the Bengals side of this trade because I like both backs, and I at least know together they will produce the production of a first-round worthy talent. I can’t say the same about Anderson at this point.

DAN:

Running backs have easily become the most frustrating fantasy position to draft. It’s not until after week two that we actually know which backs are going to carry the load for their teams and which won’t. All the pre-season hype and training camp reps give barely a glimmer of insight to what a team will decide. Fortunately last season’s stats can help your fantasy decision.

Before checking out Anderson’s fantasy production versus Hill’s and Bernard’s from 2014, I always check in with my football instincts. So much of fantasy football is luck and guts, so the question truly is whether the Broncos will once again be an offensive juggernaut, or if the Bengals will remain winners and match Denver’s prowess?

Bad teams rarely have top fantasy running backs. Those teams are constantly playing from behind and forced to throw the ball. There are of course exceptions, but both Denver and Cincinnati have to be very good in order to solve this debate.

Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) celebrates his run for a touchdown in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s assume a dominate Denver offense. This means that both their number one and number two running backs will put up solid numbers, but only the official starter is worthy of a top draft pick. Unfortunately for C.J. Anderson, the Broncos have barely cared who carried the football for them over the years. They switch up their backs with so much success that betting on Anderson as the starter over Ball is an enormous risk.

The flip side is the Bengals, who we’ll also assume will be a good team once again. Hill did well in the number one spot last season and Bernard put up solid numbers in relief. Both are excellent fantasy pick ups.

2014 stats:
C.J. Anderson (15 games) 849 yards and 8 TDs on 179 attempts
Jeremy Hill (16 games) 1124 yards and 9 TDs on 222 attempts
Giovani Bernard (13 games) 680 yards and 5 TDs on 168 attempts

Based on last season’s overall stats its impossible to see what the hype is all about with Anderson. I believe he’ll win the starting job over Ball, but he doesn’t win this fantasy trade. Anderson broke 100 yards in only two games last season, out of the seven where he had over 10 attempts. He also had two games with three touchdowns, skewing his overall scoring numbers. The bottom line is the risk involved. It will be boom or bust and little in between.

The combination of Hill and Bernard present a well-rounded package at running back. Hill had five games over 100 yards rushing last season, so he’s the one you start week to week. Having Bernard as insurance is not how I like to play fantasy, but in this deal he’s too sweet to pass up. Grab the pair of backs from Cincinnati over the unknown in Denver.

Next: Fantasy Football - Best QB/WR duo on Eagles, Vikings, or Dolphins?

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