Bills vs. Broncos start/sit advice: Fred Jackson, Sammy Watkins, C.J. Anderson, Julius Thomas

At 9-3, the Denver Broncos appear to be in good shape for a playoff spot. At 7-5, the Buffalo Bills are one of 11 AFC teams with a winning record, and are right on the fringes of the playoff race. When the two play each other Sunday, Buffalo needs a win far more than does Denver.

Buffalo's top two wide receivers, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, were both limited in practice this week with injuries, though both are expected to play Sunday. On the Denver side, the injury report was chock full of fantasy names. Running backs Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman are out for another week. C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson were also held up in practice, though neither is a risk to miss the game. On the pass-catching side, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was bothered by an ankle injury in practice, though he looks like he'll play. Tight end Julius Thomas is more of a question mark, and shapes up as a game-time decision as he continues to deal with an ankle injury.

Start 'em: He popped up on the year's injury report, but Dan Carpenter will be fine for Sunday, and in what should be a high-scoring game, he should be productive.

Start 'em?: It's been a rougher run of games lately for Kyle Orton. A game against Denver promises a lot of passing opportunities, but Orton is a low-end QB2 at best. ... Fred Jackson has only had one game of more than 11 fantasy points all year, and only three of 10 or more. He doesn't appear to have huge upside, though he's also fairly high-floor. ... Between their injuries and inconsistent production, neither Sammy Watkins nor Robert Woods makes for a great fantasy play. They're both very low-end flex plays.

Sit 'em: Now that Jackson is back and seemingly healthy, Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown are off the fantasy table. ... Scott Chandler hasn't had much in the way of production most of the year. ... The Bills' defense is really good, but the Broncos' offense is better.

Start 'em: Yep, Peyton Manning is still a fantasy starter. ... C.J. Anderson has more than proven himself as a fantasy starter; he's top-five or top-six at the position. ... It looks like Demaryius Thomas' injury won't hold him up Sunday, making him a sure-fire WR1. ... If you assume Thomas won't be 100 percent, you like Emmanuel Sanders even more, but he's a starter either way. ... Connor Barth had a huge game in his first one with Denver; there's a good chance that keeps going.

Start 'em?: The injury status of Julius Thomas makes him a dicey play. You might not know whether he'll play until after the 1 p.m. games. So Thomas is a strong option, but you'll need a late-game backup in case he's ruled out. ... The Broncos' defense is decent, but not great. It's a No. 2 defense.

Sit 'em: Unless Anderson gets hurt, all Juwan Thompson is is a backup, and definitely not a fantasy option. ... Yes, if you have Julius Thomas, you need a competent backup, but it doesn't look like that will is Jacob Tamme.