Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson's Post-Week 9 Fantasy Reaction

Whether it's a wide receiver, tight end, running back or kicker, it pays to be a part of the Denver Broncos offense. Ronnie Hillman is the newest example.     

Although the running game struggled during Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots, Hillman did a bunch of damage through the air and scored twice (one rushing, one receiving) to cap yet another big day.

Take a look at the final Week 9 stat line for both him and Juwan Thompson:

Player	Car	Rush Yds	Rec	Rec Yds	TD	Fan Pts
Ronnie Hillman	10	16	7	47	2	18.3
Juwan Thompson	2	6	1	6	0	1.2

Hillman is doing exactly what Montee Ball was supposed to do—and couldn't. He is a low-end RB1 with even more upside in PPR leagues. Thompson has entrenched himself as the backup (C.J. Anderson got three carries, but they were in garbage time), but with a small workload and the impending return of Ball, he is simply a handcuff stash at this point.

It's easy to forget Hillman is still just 23 years old. When he struggled with fumbles and pass protection his first two seasons in Denver, it seemed he wouldn't pan out. But he has looked rejuvenated in 2014, as Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab noted:

There may be a slight concern in terms of workload when Ball returns from his injury, but Hillman has done a fantastic job solidifying his spot as the clear starter.

In this offense, that makes him fantasy gold.