Targets and goal-line carries are the lifeblood of quality fantasy production for the running back position. The starting role and receiving a high volume of carries are nice, but not near the end zone makes those touches empty-calorie opportunities. In short, they do not mean much. However, being a starter and high-volume back generally points to receiving more targets and goal-line chances for high fantasy-scoring plays. This weekly feature analyzes all 32 NFL depth charts for underrated and overrated running backs.
Note: See the table of all teams' HLO rankings at the bottom of this article.
The Good
49ers
Christian McCaffrey is off to an electric (and healthy) start to the season. His 23.3 PPG trails only Jonathan Taylor at the position. The 49ers have already achieved No. 1 and No. 2 weekly finishes this season in HLO score and have supplied the most running back targets in the league. There is still untapped upside with this situation for McCaffrey, as there has been only one goal-line carry for the running backs.
Dolphins
For all of the hand-wringing over Miami overall, De'Von Achane and optimizing running backs have not been a concern through three games. The Dolphins have the second-most running back targets in the league and are the No.1 HLO team since Week 1. Ollie Gordon II has massive upside if Achane misses time. Jaylen Wright returned to the active roster in Week 3, but Gordon was firmly ahead of Wright for the valuable RB2 role.
Lions
Sonic and Knuckles were in 2024 form in Week 3, churning 56 points between them in the win over Baltimore. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are both averaging more than 16 points, and they join Cleveland as the only teams in the top five of each of the goal-line carries and running back targets categories. Either is in play for RB1 overall if the other misses time, and Detroit clearly has its mojo back after a tepid start to the season in the Week 1 loss to Green Bay.