Jamaal Charles

Week 4 vs. Oakland Raiders

Even though C.J. Anderson had been the Broncos workhorse on the ground the first two weeks, last Sunday at Buffalo, Jamaal Charles led the team with 9 carries for 56 yards rushing. And, it was Charles who scored the team’s only touchdown. Nearly all of Anderson’s 36 rushing yards came on one play, while Charles’ allusiveness proved to be more effective. Expect Anderson to receive more carries this week at home versus Oakland, but Charles will continue to receive around 10 touches as well. Despite the recent score, Charles should only be started if you’re out of other options.

Week 2 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Playing in his first game as a Bronco, Jamaal Charles received 10 carries for 40 yards last Monday night versus the Chargers. He showed some speed on a couple outside rushes, but a fourth-quarter fumble put him on the bench to stay. C.J. Anderson was given the rock twice as often as Charles and will continue to be the featured back. Right now, Anderson is the Denver back to own, so keep Charles on your bench.

Fantasy Upside

During his heyday in Kansas City, Jamal Charles was the best RB in the game. During the four-year span between 2010-2014 (excluding his injury-plagued 2011 season), Charles amassed nearly 5,300 rushing yards, over 1,600 receiving yards and scored a total of 47 touchdowns. In his previous 20 games during 2014-2015, Charles averaged 93.6 total yards on 17 touches, resulting in 18.1 fantasy points per game. The Broncos ground game struggled last season, but a beefed up offensive line should help.

Fantasy Downside

Injuries have been the only thing to slow down Charles. He missed all but two games in 2011 and has played in a total of just eight contests the past two seasons. Charles is coming off of a torn ACL and also underwent another operation to get the meniscus trimmed in the same knee. At age 30, he’s on the downside of his career and will be battling C.J. Anderson for the starting nod.

2017 Bottom Line

At the least, Charles heads into the preseason as the No. 2 RB on the Broncos depth chart. However, if he has a strong camp, remains healthy and can show signs of his former self, he has a decent chance at supplanting Anderson as the team's top back. His current listing by position is in the 40s for RBs, but is trending up, and will continue to do so if he can still cut and outrun defenses.