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 has enjoyed the clear No.1 HLO offense in the NFL through five weeks. They are in a tier by themselves, and McCaffrey, with zero rushing touchdowns, has the equation for a stretch of the season as a 25-30 PPG player. They produced the No. 1 HLO result in Week 5, already their fourth game at No. 1 or No. 2 for the week. One caveat is transferring this enthusiasm to RB2 Brian Robinson Jr. Expect Robinson to recede to the bottom 10 of the NFL in running back targets if McCaffrey is out of the lineup, as historical examples of a PPR stud exiting a lineup transform the offense away from running back targets in their absence.
Rams
Week 5 was a rare high-end HLO week for the Rams. Kyren Williams enjoyed his best fantasy game of the season, and they are on the rise as a top 10 HLO offense over the past two weeks combined. Another positive for Williams is that Blake Corum had a critical fumble in Week 5 to soften any rise in market share in the coming weeks.
Jets
The Jets are the only NFL team to improve their HLO finish each week of 2025. Breece Hall was a big-play machine in Week 5, and running backs had a gaudy nine targets. Isaiah Davis is the glaring name here as the clear RB2 with Braelon Allen out until probably the fantasy playoffs. Davis would be a high-upside starter if Hall misses any time over the next two months.
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