FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 5/21/2013 5:48am et

Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning said RB Ronnie Hillman will be counted on to have an increased role in the offense this year, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase is expected to utilize him more in the game plan. Manning has high expectations for Hillman this season.

Huddle Up: Hillman is expected to see third down work in a committee with Montee Ball. He wasn't up to a feature-back workload last year as a rookie, but perhaps another year of OTAs and training camp will get him up to speed.

Posted: 5/2/2013 9:28pm et

The Denver Broncos are working with RB Ronnie Hillman to try to keep his weight up during the season. Hillman dropped to under 180 pounds at the end of the 2012 season.

Huddle Up: Hillman isn't going to be the bigger, every-down back the Broncos need, leading to the selection of Montee Ball (5-11, 215) in the second round. Hillman, though, showed some flashes during his rookie season of 2012, and could still see his share of snaps on passing downs this season in Denver.

Posted: 2/21/2013 12:57pm et

The Denver Broncos have big plans for RB Ronnie Hillman in their offense; however, for him to fulfill his potential, coach John Fox said Hillman needs another offseason in an NFL strength program. He also needs to attack the line of scrimmage harder and understand where the hole is. At this point in his career, Hillman should be the back in the team's three-wide receiver sets, but he had to play more on early downs after RB Willis McGahee (knee) was injured. Hillman played 18 percent of the team's offensive snaps this past season.

Huddle Up: Hillman finished with 330 yards but only averaged 3.9 yards per carry. He must also step up his pass protection as earning the trust of Peyton Manning is a prerequisite to earning more playing time in Denver these days.

Posted: 11/3/2012 12:41am et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman set career highs in Week 8 with 14 carries and 86 yards in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints. 'I've said all along, Ronnie's a guy we thought very highly of and that's why we drafted him,' head coach John Fox said. As Hillman continues to adapt to the NFL in practice, Fox feels more comfortable using him in the game.

Huddle Up: Hillman is definitely a player on the rise as a complement to starter Willis McGahee. Meanwhile, fellow reserves Knowshon Moreno and Lance Ball have almost completely faded from the picture, leaving the third-down duties to Hillman, who will continue to get work barring fumbles and pass-protection issues.

Posted: 10/12/2012 6:50pm et

The Denver Broncos would like to see RB Ronnie Hillman improve his pass protection before using him more frequently in passing downs. He was only in on five plays on offense in Week 5 against the New England Patriots after seeing a season-high 21 snaps in Week 4 against the Oakland Raiders.

Huddle Up: Rookie RBs and pass protection are a tricky mix, and that's made Hillman a fantasy disappointment so far with only 84 total yards and no TDs in 3 games. However, if the rookie can keep plugging away and show some improvement with the opportunities he does get, he's a name to keep in mind for the second half of the season.

Posted: 8/28/2012 11:05am et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman made his preseason debut Sunday, Aug. 26, against the San Francisco 49ers. He had missed the first two preseason games due to a hamstring injury. Hillman had a team-high 10 carries for 29 yards, and he added a catch for four yards.

Huddle Up: Hillman looks to be the primary backup to Willis McGahee, who has quite a bit of wear on the tires. You'd like to see at least three yards a carry, but in the Broncos' Peyton Manning-led offense there's plenty of upside for whichever running back winds up with the touches.

Posted: 8/25/2012 7:44pm et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman (hamstring) may play in the third preseason game Sunday, Aug. 26, even though he is not completely recovered from his hamstring injury.

Huddle Up: The Broncos have had high hopes for Hillman, a third-round pick out of San Diego State, but the rookie has been MIA most of camp and the team's first two preseason contests. Now, the team has to weigh pushing Hillman a little versus the risk of aggravating the always-tricky hamstring injury. In the meantime, feel free to keep moving Hillman down your fantasy draft board until he's made his first pro carry.

Posted: 8/17/2012 2:29pm et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman (hamstring) will likely miss the team�s preseason game Saturday, Aug. 18, after re-aggravating his hamstring earlier in the week.

Huddle Up: Hillman's fantasy value has plummeted since the start of training camp. Lance Ball currently sits second on the depth chart, and this injury will not help his cause. Unless he turns things around quickly, Hillman may be nothing more than a dynasty stash going into the season.

Posted: 8/14/2012 8:17pm et

Denver Broncos rookie RB Ronnie Hillman (hamstring) aggravated his hamstring Tuesday, Aug. 14. However, head coach John Fox said Hillman's injury is not as serious as his previous one.

Huddle Up: Hamstrings are tricky, and Hillman's flare-up Tuesday was hardly a treat for the third-round pick from San Diego State. Hillman is listed third on the team's RB depth chart, but he missed last week's preseason opener with the Bears, and his status for Saturday's exhibition against the Seahawks is up in the air with this latest development. The Broncos are going to take it easy with the rookie, but they also would like to see him in game action. It's still too early to adjust his fantasy draft stock, but stay tuned ...

Posted: 8/11/2012 7:38pm et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman (hamstring) is working in full-team practice sessions Saturday, Aug. 11, for the first time since returning from a hamstring injury.

Huddle Up: The Broncos have big plans for Hillman, the team's third-round pick out of San Diego State. He finished fifth in the nation in yards from scrimmage (1,981) and scored 20 total TDs last season with the Aztecs. He's slated to be the team's third-down back, but his hamstring has acted up early in camp and kept him out of Denver's preseason opener Thursday in Chicago. The Broncos and fans are eager to see the rookie in game action, and his first opportunity will come Saturday against Seattle.

Posted: 8/2/2012 12:18pm et

Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman left practice Wednesday, Aug. 1, with a hamstring injury.

Huddle Up: Hillman suffered the drill late in practice while working on kickoff returns. It didn't appear to be serious, but we'll know more when Hillman takes (or doesn't take) the field for practice Thursday.