10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 7

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos

ESPN Ownership: 72.8%
Yahoo! Ownership: 58%

Perhaps we need to begin the conversation on who the lead back and who the handcuff in Denver really is.

In a dream matchup against the Cleveland Browns' 32nd-ranked rushing defense according to our advanced metrics, while "starting" tailback C.J. Anderson managed just 41 yards on 13 attempts, "backup" running back Ronnie Hillman racked up 111 rushing yards on his 20 carries.

This is an extension of the trends that have been going on all season; over the season's first five weeks Anderson has accrued an abysmal -0.36 Rushing NEP per attempt while Hillman's sterling 0.05 average ranks him as the league's 11th best mark among all tailbacks with at least 45 carries. To put these numbers into perspective, Anderson's number ranks him near the bottom of the league while Hillman's figure has him ahead of the likes of Todd Gurley (0.043), Justin Forsett (0.032), Le'Veon Bell (0.031), and Adrian Peterson (0.023).

So whether it be due to the toe injury Anderson suffered earlier this season, or an unexpected regression, it's clear that Hillman has been the more effective tailback for the Broncos and as such should continue to see more and more touches for the team going forward.