Ronnie Hillman's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 6

Montee Ball's injury has filled the Ronnie Hillman bandwagon to the brim, but expectations must be tempered in Week 6.

Although the 23-year-old running back is the perceived front-runner for lead carries—he played on 24 of 37 snaps after Ball left last Sunday's game, per Rotoworld's Adam Levitan—in the Denver Broncos' explosive offense, there is talent in the backfield around him, and he faces a stiff New York Jets rush defense.

Throw in the Broncos' unstoppable pass offense and the Jets' shaky secondary, and Hillman suddenly has the look of an RB3 or flex option at best, depending on the league.

Denver's backfield situation is about as clear as sludge right now.

USA TODAY Sports

Hillman, after tallying 64 yards on 15 carries in Ball's stead against the Arizona Cardinals, is the projected starter. But let's not forget this is a 23-year-old with a career 3.9 yards-per-carry average who has struggled with ball security and pass protection at times.

While he looked fairly explosive against Arizona, the presence of both Juwan Thompson—a good pass protector who scored versus the Cardinals—and C.J. Anderson—whom many believe to be the most talented of the trio but was a healthy scratch in Week 5—complicates things.

Clearly, no one really knows what to expect:

Hillman should get the majority of the carries, but this screams running back by committee or the dreaded "hot-hand" approach, both of which are painfully difficult to predict. And even if he is the workhorse, the leash is going to be awfully short.

That's not a risk worth taking against the Jets.

Rex Ryan's talented front seven was sliced and diced by undrafted free agent Branden Oliver last week, but the Jets still rank fifth in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (3.3) and sixth in rushing yards per game allowed (83.0). Football Outsiders' advanced statistics rank them as the 11th-best team against the run.

That problem is only compounded by how easy Peyton Manning and the passing game should have it. Here's a look at how other quarterbacks have fared against the Jets this season:

Player	Comp/Att (%)	Yds	YPA	TD	INT
David Carr, OAK	20/32 (62.5)	151	4.7	2	0
Aaron Rodgers, GB	25/42 (59.5)	346	8.2	3	0
Jay Cutler, CHI	23/38 (60.5)	225	5.9	2	0
Matthew Stafford, DET	24/34 (70.6)	293	8.6	2	0
Philip Rivers, SD	20/28 (71.4)	288	10.3	3	1

To be fair to the Jets, that's a murderer's row of opposing quarterbacks after Carr, but Manning isn't going to be any easier. The Broncos, who have tossed the fifth-most throws per game, will once again have no problem moving the ball through the air until the game is out of hand.

Hillman could get some carries inside the 5-yard line or rack up—everyone's favorite—garbage-time stats. But with so much unknown about how John Fox will split time between his three capable running backs, playing the wait-and-see game with one of the week's hottest waiver-wire darlings is the better approach.