By Austan Kas

I feel like I’m missing something with C.J. Anderson. I can’t figure out why more people aren’t on the bandwagon -- it wasn’t until August that his average draft position climbed inside the top 10.

This is a player who, in points per reception leagues, averaged 23.6 points over the final seven games of 2014. In those seven starts, Anderson exploded for 1,173 total yards and 10 touchdowns. To put that in context, Eddie Lacy, in nine more starts, had 1,566 total yards and 13 scores -- or just 393 more yards and one more touchdown -- and he’s not surviving the first three picks in most drafts.

Using our in-house Net Expected Points metric, Anderson gets even more attractive. His Rushing NEP per carry of 0.10 tied him with Marshawn Lynch for second among all backs, trailing only Jamaal Charles. In just seven starts, he ranked sixth in the league amongst all running backs in Rushing NEP. For the cherry on top, Anderson didn’t fumble once in his 213 touches, which had to endear him to the coaches and Manning alike.

For at least this year, he’s going to be in a top-notch situation as the lead back in a Peyton Manning offense, and that’s to say nothing of the addition of run-game wizard Gary Kubiak. I’m sure there’s some hesitation because Montee Ball was such a bust last season, but Ball has never had a sniff of the on-field production Anderson put up in the second half of last season.