Fantasy football advice, Week 15: Who to start/sit for Broncos vs. Chargers

If the Denver Broncos can beat the San Diego Chargers Sunday, they'll clinch the AFC West once again. The last time these two teams played one another, back in Week 8, the Broncos won, 35-21, bringing them to an at-the-time record of 6-1. The Chargers, meanwhile, need every win they can get to hold on to a Wild Card spot in the AFC playoff race.

As far as fantasy-relevant injuries go, no team has more concerns than the Broncos, whose injury report is miles long. All four of the team's running backs appear on the report; Montee Ball is still out, while Ronnie Hillman could return from his injury. C.J. Anderson will play through his ankle issues, and will get the majority of the work, but Hillman could battle Juwan Thompson, himself dealing with a knee, for some touches. Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker and tight end Julius Thomas all appear on the injury report as well, though all three are expected to play, and Julius Thomas has increased his practice workload after being active in only emergency capacity in Week 14. For the Chargers, the injury list is shorter, but running back Ryan Mathews is a huge question mark with an ankle issue. He didn't practice all week, though the team has said he could still play despite that.

Start 'em: Even after the pass offense has dipped the last couple weeks, Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning, and is still a fantasy must-start. ... In five games since becoming the team's primary running back, C.J. Anderson has put up 20.4 fantasy points per game. He's made himself super-elite. ... Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Julius Thomas should all bounce back from rough Week 14 performances.

Start 'em?: You always like a Denver kicker. Connor Barth is an interesting option, even with only two games under his belt this season.

Start 'em: It's easy to forgive Keenan Allen for his awful Week 14, having gone against Darrelle Revis. And he looked great before that. He's a No. 2 WR. ... Antonio Gates has put up three or fewer fantasy points four times in five games, but as bad as the tight-end position is right now, he's still a low-end starter.

Start 'em?: There's a big tier of quarterbacks -- something like the sixth guy to the 13th -- who makes sense as a starter, but isn't anything like a sure thing. Philip Rivers is in that tier. You like a quarterback facing Denver, but he's only reached 20 fantasy points once in his last seven games, and has five games of 14 or fewer in that time. ... Malcom Floyd has been more than competent this season; he's a mid-to-low flex, but not one that scares you a lot. ... Nick Novak is a low-end fantasy starter, but one with very nice upside.

Sit 'em: The questions about the Chargers' running-back situation makes the whole thing a mess. If Ryan Mathews plays, he'll be less than 100 percent and impossible to trust. If he sits, Donald Brown and Branden Oliver will battle one another for touches, and against Denver that's just a stay-away. ... The Chargers' defense has improved of late, but it's facing Denver. That's a no-go.

Start if you're desperate: Connor Barth, Philip Rivers, Malcom Floyd, Nick Novak