Thursday night fantasy football picks: Melvin Gordon or Nyheim Hines?

At the start of the season, Melvin Gordon and Nyheim Hines would not be expected to feature heavily in this matchup. Everyone expected a clash between Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams for Thursday night's Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos matchup. But with neither set to play, now is the time to pick between Gordon and Hines.

Due to an ankle injury, Taylor has been ruled out for this encounter. Meanwhile, Williams' torn ACL has put him in the medical room for the rest of the season. That said, we should not cast aside a high-scoring game from their substitutes. It will be a difficult decision for your fantasy team concerning both running backs ahead of the Week 5 game. Let's break down the statistics for Melvin and Nyheim to get an overview for Thursday night.

Should you start Melvin Gordon?

San Francisco 49ers v Denver Broncos

Melvin Gordon averaged 14 touches and 60 total yards alongside Javonte Williams before Week 4. Now that the latter is out with a setback, he is the next man up for the Broncos. Gordon is ranked 40th in yards after contact per attempt and 38th in PFF's ratings. The worry with him is the fumbles. He's fumbled the ball four times already this year and it cost the Broncos big in their loss against the Las Vegas Raiders. There is the worry that Denver may be less inclined to hand him the ball.

Presuming they do, the 29-year-old is certainly a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 in a tough gameweek. According to projections, Gordon will tally 13.5 fantasy points, 67.0 rushing yards, 0.5 rushing touchdowns and two receptions. He will likely carry the load ahead of Mike Boone and Latavius Murray. The running back will be aiming for 20-plus carries against the Colts. It is best to start him this week as he could be a top-20 fantasy option.

Should you start Nyheim Hines?

New York Jets v Indianapolis Colts

The majority of the work will be passed on to Nyheim Hines in Taylor's absence. He will potentially share touches with Deon Jackson and Phillip Lindsay. He is certainly useable as a flex player in a PPR league.

Hines has averaged 6.3 touches and 31.1 total yards, becoming one of the best receiving backs in the league. He's fourth in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run. Projections indicate Hines will potentially collect 14.8 fantasy points, 43.2 rushing yards, 0.3 rushing touchdowns and 4.3 receptions. With the Colts looking to pass more in Thursday's game, Hines could have a big day. But with Jackson and Lindsay sharing the load, it would be best to sit him for this week.