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 occurring away from the end zone makes those touches empty-calorie opportunities. In short, they do not mean much. However, being a starter and a high-volume back generally points to more targets and goal-line chances, which can lead to high-scoring fantasy 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
Jaguars
While still an average HLO team, Jacksonville has made significant progress since being a basement dweller in the first half of the season. Jacksonville had one decent (or better) week through their Week 8 bye. However, they have posted a 16th-or-better weekly ranking in four of the five games since. The negative is that Bhayshul Tuten's goal-line involvement has split some of the optimal touches with Travis Etienne Jr.
Broncos
Two recent progressions have boosted Denver's running back appeal. First, J.K. Dobbins' injury has clarified the backfield for RJ Harvey's market share as an auto-start fantasy option. Second, Denver is all the way up to No. 5 in the season-long HLO rankings, including the No. 1 finish in Week 13 and being above average in the metric for seven games straight. Harvey has league-winning potential with these positive indicators continuing in the final weeks of the season.
Cardinals
Only Arizona rivals the 49ers over the past month in overall HLO prowess. This is without James Conner and Trey Benson, who are out with injuries. Bam Knight enjoyed another clarified opportunity in Week 13 and produced his best fantasy result of the season with nearly 17 PPR points. Michael Carter sees strong volume, especially in negative game script, as the secondary option. Trey Benson has another wait-and-see status for Week 14, which could produce another clarified start for Knight if sitting for yet another week. Ideally, Benson plays in Week 14 to allow an important ramp-up datapoint for fantasy teams before the all-important playoff lineup decisions begin in Week 15.