Action in the NFL never slows down. After a week like the one just experienced, it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the injuries and player personnel decisions.

Add a slew of players being released by teams Tuesday, and you get chaos in the world of fantasy football.

The beloved Broncos certainly weren’t spared from the anguish of injuries Sunday in a head-scratching loss to the St. Louis Rams. For local fans’ sake, we’ll start right there this week, as we look deep into the waiver wire.

Denver Broncos

Montee Ball reaggravated the same groin he tore in Week 5, Emmanuel Sanders took a vicious hit to the head and suffered a concussion, and Julius Thomas twisted an ankle that could at least limit him Sunday against Miami.

Let’s start with Ball, who is safe to be dropped in standard leagues. The second-year running back received a first-round draft grade by fantasy experts this year, but he didn’t live up to expectations when he was healthy, and it now is clear even staying healthy is a struggle. Expect Ball to miss a few more weeks with the groin, just enough time for Ronnie Hillman to return from a foot injury and regain a share of the workload.

Owners of Ball must own CJ Anderson in the coming weeks. Anderson has emerged as the clear starter with Ball and Hillman out. Even in a week in which the Broncos ran the ball fewer than 10 times, Anderson was a double-digit scorer in leagues where receptions earn points.

Sanders could miss some time with the concussion, which will lend more snaps to Andre Caldwell and potentially even rookie wide receiver Cody Latimer. Still, unless you are in deep leagues, I wouldn’t roster either of those players going forward.

However, Sanders’ injury could lend some value to veteran Wes Welker, who has been a shell of himself in 2014 after a slew of concussions last season and another mild concussion in the preseason. He only has one touchdown this season and hasn’t come close to 100 yards receiving, leading many frustrated owners simply to cut the former slot phenom. Sanders owners should consider giving Welker a start this week and hope for Sanders’ speedy recovery.

Thomas, the league’s leader with 12 touchdown receptions ahead of Randall Cobb’s 10, still might play Sunday after suffering a minor ankle injury. Still, the situation will be of concern to fantasy owners in need of a win in the final two weeks or so of the fantasy regular season. If you have someone on your bench you safely can release, go ahead and give Jacob Tamme an add for this week. Though Tamme has just one touchdown, and none since Week 3 at Seattle, he did haul in four passes for 31 yards after Thomas departed Sunday in St. Louis. Manning and Tamme routinely show their chemistry in big situations, and Tamme could be heavily involved in the offense this week. Though he may have to help the offensive line block some downs, Tamme can split out just like Thomas. Expect him to pick up a lot of the slack if Sanders and Thomas both are inactive.

Other tight ends to consider include Niles Paul in Washington if Jordan Reed is sidelined by another hamstring pull and possibly even Marcedes Lewis in Jacksonville. Lewis hasn’t played since Week 2 and was activated Monday. He will assume the No. 1 tight end spot on the Jaguars’ roster, pushing Clay Harbor back to No. 2.

Running Back

Ahmad Bradshaw is done for the regular season in Indianapolis with a broken foot, and Ben Tate was released by the Browns.

That combination is big for Tate owners, as they certainly will hope the Colts bring in their second running back from Cleveland in as many years.

Tate owners shouldn’t panic, yet. If Tate lands with a competitive team, his value will remain what it was in Cleveland, if not better than the three-man rotation the Browns rolled out. Tate still is a force on the goal line and will help a team. I wouldn’t bank on it being the Colts, though, as Trent Richardson is a pretty similar back. Still, with Tate’s nose for the goal line and Richardson’s indecisiveness, it could be a fit. Richardson owners should consider him safe to start this week against Jacksonville.

The Tate move frees up Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West to get more touches in Cleveland. West has been the more reliable back this year, but Crowell got the start and more touches last Sunday. He now has 102 rushing yards and one touchdown in his last 26 carries, and he also added 30 receiving yards Sunday. If available, be sure to add one of those guys this week.

The emergence of Jonas Gray in New England finally happened Sunday night against the Colts. Gray had four of the NFL’s 10 rushing touchdowns in Week 11. He certainly will be the team’s best goal-line option, and he should continue to get more carries going forward, with Shane Vereen assuming the passing-down duties. Consider Gray a strong RB2 candidate going forward.

Wide Receiver

Another valuable fantasy wide receiver, Brandin Cooks, went down Sunday besides Sanders. The Saints’ breakout rookie was placed on injured reserve with a thumb and wrist injury.

That should benefit Kenny Stills, New Orleans’ second-year receiver out of Oklahoma. Still had 32 yards and a touchdown on four receptions Sunday, though it easily was his best production of the season. Still, Stills should see plenty of more snaps and targets with Cooks down.

Cecil Shorts III also could take advantage of an injury in front of him in Jacksonville. Allen Robinson went down with a broken foot and will miss the rest of the season, making Shorts the No. 1 wide receiver on the Jaguars’ depth chart. Shorts is coming off a 119-yard game on five receptions and now has two 100-yard games this year. However, he doesn’t have a touchdown since Week 3 against Indianapolis. The good news? Shorts will face the Colts again this weekend. Consider him a strong option to start this week.

Survivor Pool

There are a few safe picks out there this week. The safest bet is the San Francisco 49ers at home against Washington. I also like the Colts against Jacksonville, if you haven’t used Indy already. If you’re desperate, Philadelphia at home against Tennessee seems safe with the Titans coming off a Monday night game.

That is all for this week, fantasy junkies. Cheers to one final week of byes, with only Carolina and Pittsburgh receiving a break. Feel free to send your lineup questions to my email and Twitter as we approach the final weeks of the fantasy regular season.

John Livingston is a sports writer at The Durango Herald and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He can be reached at jlivingston@durangoherald.com or on Twitter @jlivi2.