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 and the 49ers are leaving the rest of the NFL in the dust with their elite HLO performance through six weeks. McCaffrey found the end zone as a rusher for the first time in Week 6, a nice bonus considering his wide receiver-like receiving usage. Out of six weeks, the 49ers have finished No.1 or No.2 in five of them. This is the most dominant stint of weekly finishes in the HLO-tracking era (since 2019). McCaffrey will have a hard time not finishing as the RB1 overall, considering his HLO insulation.
Steelers
Jaylen Warren returned to the lineup in Week 6 after his surprise inactive status in Week 4, followed by the team's bye week. Warren's backfield market share was less than when he left, as Kaleb Johnson has started to get some run, and Kenneth Gainwell performed well in Warren's absence. The foundational HLO of the backfield is elite, however, as they have been 11th or better in weekly HLO all season. If Warren gains more market share or misses future games, the consolidation of the backfield will yield strong fantasy results.
Cardinals
Arizona has been sneaky good for running back optimization this season. The loss of James Conner and then Trey Benson dropped the talent level of the RB1 and RB2 roles, but the utilization has been rock solid. Arizona posted another strong finish in Week 6 and has been 17th or better every week this season. Bam Knight and Michael Carter created a frustrating near-even split in Week 6, but there are still multiple weeks without Trey Benson to attempt to find more clarity for lineups.
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