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Knowshon Moreno shocked the world with his breakout performance in the 2013 season, but his future success will mainly be determined by what team he plays for. Montee Ball was unable to establish a starting position because of fumbling and blocking issues, but the rookie started to improve as the season went on. The Denver Broncos are committed to Ball, and the Broncos are more inclined to invest in the 23-year-old Ball than Moreno. With that being said, the running back who is able to protect Peyton Manning the best will see the most playing time. If the Broncos feel that is Moreno, he will be offered a new contract after the Super Bowl.
Moreno teased fantasy owners with his rookie season, accumulating over 1,100 yards with nine total touchdowns. After the 2009-10 season, Moreno had a hard time staying healthy. He also saw decreased playing time because of performance issues, and Moreno only played 28 games between the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. Ronnie Hillman was thrown in the mix for Denver in the 2012 season, but he never made an impact.
The new-found success of Moreno this past season was due to his involvement in the passing game. Moreno averaged 34.30 receiving yards per game in the 2013-14 season, and he caught a career high 548 receiving yards. Moreno set personal records with 1,039 rushing yards, and he racked up 13 total touchdowns. Moreno also found success in his rookie season because of his involvement in the passing game, so fantasy owners will have to mindful of this fact for 2014.
The two biggest factors for the success of Moreno will be the team that he plays for, as well as his involvement in the offense. While that may seem obvious, many fantasy owners will still overreach for Moreno in their 2014 draft. The positive role in the passing game that Moreno showed this year is very promising, but with stiff competition in Denver, Moreno is more likely to be a dud next fantasy season. This is not a criticism of the talent of Moreno, but I feel that Moreno will see a much more limited workload on any team that he plays for. Draft with caution.
Jack Delaney is a fantasy football writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @jackbmore13, “Like” him on facebook or add him to your network on Google
