The worst “Thursday Night Football” matchup of the season just happens to come at the most important time for fantasy football owners.
The Indianapolis Colts will host the Denver Broncos in a battle of two teams that have nothing to play for. However, many fantasy owners are in their semifinals, meaning Thursday night’s game could have big implications for some.
There aren’t many players on either team who carry a ton of value, but if you pick your spots, there could be some points up for grabs at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Whether you’re playing a daily fantasy sports contest or making a last-minute roster move in your season-long league, here’s who we think you should start and sit Thursday night:
START
C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos. Anderson carried the ball 22 times for 48 yards in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets. Brutal numbers, we know, but it’s the first time Anderson has gotten 20 touches in a game since Week 4. We think he’ll be leaned on heavily again Thursday night, which is a good thing, considering the Colts have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL. Anderson is worth a FLEX/RB2 start.
Jack Doyle, TE, Colts. Doyle’s numbers have been underwhelming over the last two weeks, although Sunday’s clunker against the Bills can be thrown out because of the whiteout conditions in Buffalo. Outside that stretch, though, he’s been one of the best fantasy tight ends this season, and faces a Broncos defense that ranks among the league’s worst against tight ends. This is a thin position, but Doyle still is one of your best bets.
Frank Gore, RB, Colts. Gore clearly is on the back nine of his career, but he still has some yards left in him. We think he’ll get plenty Thursday night, too, as the Broncos have struggled against the run lately. Assuming Denver doesn’t get out to a big lead, Gore should get enough touches to warrant a RB2 start.
SIT
T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts. Hilton has been just too inconsistent this season to trust in the fantasy playoffs. Furthermore, while the Broncos’ defense hasn’t been the same this year, its secondary still is more than capable of bottling up Hilton. We wouldn’t start him any higher than a WR3.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Colts. Brissett has carried some streaming value throughout the season, but there’s simply no way you’re trusting him in the fantasy playoffs, especially against the Broncos.
Trevor Siemian, QB, Broncos. Did we mention this game stinks for fantasy owners? Siemian, like Brissett, isn’t nearly productive enough to warrant a start at this point in the season. In fact, there’s really no reason for Siemian to be on your team at all at this point.