The writing had been on the wall for some time about Knowshon Moreno's departure from the Denver Broncos. When Moreno finally signed with the Miami Dolphins, the spotlight shifted fully to Montee Ball, who is slated to step in as Denver's new running back of choice.
Ball has at least one fan, and it's a big one ... Peyton Manning. The quarteback weighed in with his thoughts on Ball and professed that the running back is ready to fill in as Denver's workhorse. That is a rousing endorsement from fantasy's pre-eminent quarterback. But will it be enough to boost Ball into the first round of fantasy drafts?
Much has been made recently of the list of running backs who have found fantasy success playing alongside Manning -- Moreno, Joseph Addai and Edgerrin James are three of the names most frequently mentioned. However, James did most of his damage in an offense that afforded him 300-plus carries a season. Addai was a mostly serviceable, but not studly, fantasy back. In fact, he only topped 200 fantasy points in a season just once.
Ball's promotion to No. 1 running back in what is arguably the league's most efficient offense will come with increased opportunity. Increased opportunity leads to a rise in fantasy draft value. It's a tempting idea for a player who averaged more than five yards per touch in 2013. But it's also a fairly small sample size for a guy who is bucking for first-round consideration.
Being a successful fantasy football owner means taking chances and finding value where others wouldn't dare to look. And while most fantasy leagues aren't won with a first-round draft pick, a bad one can certainly put you behind the 8-ball. If you're feeling saucy on draft day, landing Ball late in the first round isn't the worst idea. It's just not one that I'm getting behind right now. I like the idea that Montee Ball can finish the season in the top 10 at his position, but there are too many unknowns for me to consider spending my first pick on him.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
