Montee Ball

There is a reason it can be difficult to predict who is going to run the ball for the Denver Broncos. Because the guy who holds the golden ticket, running backs coach Eric Studesville, is a leading practitioner of the see-who-has-the-hot-hand approach.

“It’s 100 percent by gut, 100 percent by gut," Studesville said. “I go in with a number in mind where I would like guys to be, where their performance has put them in the order ... I like have a good dispersal. But when we get in the game and all of a sudden a guy gets rolling, then you want him to keep going. It’s a feel thing."

C.J. Anderson will most likely lead the Broncos in touches in Week 11, provided he shows good ball security and protects the quarterback. Montee Ball is working his way from a groin injury, so the team is unlikely to give him a huge workload in his first week back. (Besides, Anderson has looked like the better back thus far.) Juwan Thompson is also in the mix. So while we're recommending Anderson as a RB2-type start, he doesn't come without some risk.