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
Browns
Cleveland enters its bye week as the clear No. 2 HLO team in the NFL. Quinshon Judkins' shoulder injury is a must-monitor situation heading into Week 10, as Dylan Sampson rose to the starting role over Jerome Ford to finish the game Judkins exited this past Sunday. Cleveland has yet to finish worse than 12th in any HLO week and is one of only two teams (Pittsburgh) that are 7th or better in both goal line and target categories. While Judkins' injury in combination with their bye week adds uncertainty to the Week 10 outlook, Dylan Sampson must be rostered, just in case, through Week 9.
Dolphins
Miami had one of the more surprising team results in Week 8, thumping the Falcons and returning to their elite HLO ways in the road win. De'Von Achane and company are No. 2 in targets and have finished in the top 12 all but two weeks this season in HLO score. One caveat is not to expect Ollie Gordon II to see the same Achane-like receiving work if Achane misses time. Gordon is more of a big-bodied early-down back, and few NFL running backs would be featured like a wide receiver a la Achane.
Cowboys
One reason Javonte Williams has been one of the fantasy steals of the season is Dallas' strong HLO. The Cowboys have produced an elite number of goal-line carries and have been above average in targets as well. Jaydon Blue is finally healthy and in the RB2 role, but has been sparsely involved in the passing game during his debut games. Williams' strong upside is going nowhere as Dallas has only one weekly finish lower than 12th this season.