Hillman rushed seven times for 21 yards and caught one pass on two targets for five receiving yards Sunday against the Raiders.

Only days after head coach Gary Kubiak said Hillman deserved to get more touches thanks to his solid play of late, the fourth-year running back finished with four fewer carries than he had in Week 4, all while starter C.J. Anderson rushed 11 times for just 22 yards. The Broncos' offensive line isn't creating enough holes, and because of their struggles in pass protection, the running backs are being asked to block more, none of which lines up well for fantasy success. Up next is a Week 6 trip to Cleveland before a Week 7 bye.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that Hillman "has earned the right to get more carries," according to the Denver Post.

Kubiak did note that C.J. Anderson will remain the starter, but Hillman, who had 103 rushing yards and a touchdown Sunday against the Vikings, is slated for more early down work. Anderson has really struggled so far this season, failing to reach even 45 rushing yards in a game, giving Hillman a huge opportunity for playing time if he can keep breaking plays like the 72-yard touchdown he scored Sunday.

Hillman rushed 11 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass on one target for five receiving yards Sunday against the Vikings.

Hillman finished with the same number of rushing attempts as C.J. Anderson, but the latter could only turn them into 43 yards. A vast majority of Hillman's yards came on a 73-yard run, but with his speed, it's always a possibility when he gets out in space. The Broncos used a two-tight end set on Hillman's run but barely used it the rest of the game, opting to work out of the pistol formation to give quarterback Peyton Manning more time in the pocket. Hillman's ability to break a play with his speed could give him more touches than Anderson, who has failed to rush for even 45 yards in a game this season. At the very least, Hillman continues to be in the picture for touches and Anderson is unlikely to get a significantly bigger slice of the pie.

Despite his early season struggles, C.J. Anderson will continue to start ahead of Hillman, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Anderson has rushed for just 74 yards on 32 carries (2.3 YPC) this season, while Hillman has racked up 88 yards on 28 carries. One big thing holding Hillman back is that he's caught only one pass in three games after he was expected to take on a decent role in the passing game, particularly on third down. If Anderson continues to struggle, the Broncos could make a change, but Hillman will at least remain the backup Sunday against the Vikings.

Hillman had seven carries for 13 yards and a touchdown, adding one catch for three yards on one target, in Sunday's 24-12 win over the Lions.

Hillman scored a one-yard touchdown while C.J. Anderson was being evaluated for a concussion, but Anderson returned to play most of the snaps in the second half. Neither running back had any luck on the ground, so while the Broncos may be growing restless with Anderson, they won't necessarily make a change. Despite missing a good chunk of the second quarter, Anderson outsnapped Hillman 35-24, according to Pro Football Focus.

Hillman had nine carries for 34 yards in Thursday's 31-24 win over the Chiefs.

Hillman only drew one target and didn't catch it, but he still outplayed C.J. Anderson (toe), who gained 27 on 12 carries and two yards on one reception. According to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, Anderson played 42 snaps to Hillman's 31, a split that was much more even than the previous week's. If Anderson continues to struggle, Hillman may get a crack at the starting job, as both players were effective when asked to shoulder a full workload last season. Of course, the Denver offensive line has taken a big step back from last year, and the same may be true for Peyton Manning.

Hillman rushed 12 times for a team-high 41 yards Sunday against the Ravens.

The Broncos' offensive line struggled to create many running lanes, leaving Hillman with his low output, as well as starter C.J. Anderson, who rushed 12 times for 29 yards and caught four passes on eight targets for 19 yards while playing with a sprained toe. Third-stringer Juwan Thompson did not get a touch on offense, so it appears likely that Hillman will get the first crack at the starting job Thursday against the Chiefs if Anderson is unable to play.

Hillman has passed Montee Ball on the depth chart, the Denver Post reports.

The NFL's leading rusher so far this preseason, Hillman is all but a lock to start the year as C.J. Anderson's top backup, likely serving in a chance-of-pace role. Montee Ball, meanwhile, may have to compete with Juwan Thompson just to stick around as the No. 3 running back. Hillman is easily the preferred handcuff for Anderson.

Hillman had eight carries for 54 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans.

Hillman got one carry with the starters then dominated the second-team work, while Montee Ball barely saw the field before halftime. This doesn't necessarily mean that the battle is over, but Hillman's having the much better preseason and is seemingly now the favorite to serve as C.J. Anderson's top backup.

Hillman gained 66 yards on eight carries and 11 yards on one reception in Friday's preseason opener against the Seahawks.

Montee Ball entered the game first, but both players got significant run with the second-team offense, and Hillman ultimately had the more impressive night. The battle for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart will likely continue throughout the preseason.

Hillman has taken some reps ahead of Montee Ball over the last few days, 9 News Denver reports.

Ball was widely viewed as the favorite to serve as C.J. Anderson's top backup, but Hillman could still make a push for the role. While somewhat undersized and lacking in power, Hillman has excellent speed and strong receiving skills.

Hillman will begin OTAs in a battle with Montee Ball for backup carries behind C.J. Anderson, head coach Gary Kubiak said last week.

Hillman was the third running back on the depth chart to begin last season but eventually became the starter when Montee Ball went down with a groin injury. Unfortunately, Hillman then suffered a foot injury, which propelled Anderson into the lead spot. Anderson greatly outperformed the other two backs, which is why he'll get the first shot at the starting job, though there figures to be plenty of competition.

Hillman had two carries for eight yards in Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Colts.

After taking a big chunk out of C.J. Anderson's workload in Week 17, Hillman was nearly invisible against the Colts. Anderson accounted for 24 of Denver's 26 running-back touches, and he played better than his statistics -- 18 carries for 80 yards, six catches for 29 yards -- would seem to suggest. The Broncos have made some questionable decisions with running backs the past couple of years, but Anderson erased any potential uncertainty for 2015. That means Hillman's best-case scenario is to enter OTAs as the clear No. 2 running back, but it's also possible that he'll have to compete with Montee Ball and/or Juwan Thompson for positioning on the depth chart. While he strung together some nice performances prior to missing Weeks 11-16 with a foot injury, Hillman was far less impressive than Anderson.

Hillman (foot) had 15 carries for 56 rushing yards and one catch on two targets for two receiving yards during Sunday's win over the Raiders.

C.J. Anderson dominated the early touches, rushing 13 times for 87 yards and three touchdowns before giving way Hillman to clean up the rest of the game. Hillman was playing for the first time since Week 10 against the Raiders, and with the Broncos earning a first-round playoff bye, Hillman should be fully healthy for the playoffs, though Anderson will likely still get a majority of the touches.

Hillman (foot) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

In his return to action for the first time since Nov. 9, look for Hillman to work in a complementary role behind C.J. Anderson.

Hillman (foot) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Raiders, the Denver Post reports.

After practicing fully all week, Hillman is poised to rejoin the Broncos' backfield mix Sunday, and in his anticipated return to action, look for him to work in a complementary role behind C.J. Anderson.

Hillman (foot) was listed as a full practice participant Wednesday, the Broncos' official site reports.

The session marked the first time that Hillman -- who practiced in a limited fashion last week -- has had full practice participation since he sprained his foot on Nov. 9. "He's obviously further ahead than he was this time a week ago," coach John Fox said Wednesday, as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's home game against the Raiders. "The fact that we're on grass, not on [artificial] turf, (there are) a lot of variables, but I like what I see." While Hillman may finally return to the Broncos' backfield mix this weekend, it's hard to imagine him immediately supplanting C.J. Anderson as the team's lead back.

Hillman (foot) is inactive for Monday's game against the Bengals.

With Hillman still out, Juwan Thompson is in line to work in a complementary role behind C.J. Anderson on Monday, with Mike Klis of the Denver Post indicating that Hillman is targeting a Week 17 return.

Hillman (foot) said Saturday that he has still not been told whether or not he will play Monday against the Bengals, the Denver Post reports. "I was better than I was," Hillman man. "Getting better. Progressing. I'm jus waiting for them to say, 'You're up this week.' Whenever that happens, it happens. Playoffs, next week, I don't know."

Hillman has been absent since suffering the injury in Week 10, and even if he is cleared to play, C.J. Anderson figures to continue getting a majority of the touches out of the backfield, which makes Hillman a relatively weak fantasy option versus what he was before the injury.

Hillman (foot) is questionable for Monday's game against Cincinnati.

Hillman was able to make limited practice appearances all week, but his status remains up in the air. Even if he does suit up, it's possible that the Broncos will again lean heavily on C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson, though Thompson (hip/knee) is questionable himself.