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
Browns
Cleveland had a three-week swoon in weekly HLO, until their Week 14 outburst, when they swung back to No. 1. Cleveland had Dylan Sampson back from a Week 13 exit with injury in the RB2 role. For the first two months of the season, Cleveland was an elite HLO team and is back to No. 6 on the year.
Bills
While not an elite HLO team on the season, Buffalo has logged three of their best four HLO weeks in the past few games. James Cook typically cedes receiving work to Ty Johnson as a limitation, but Cook's explosive nature leads to touchdowns beyond the goal line (Buffalo is 17th in goal-line carries) and strong volume overall. With Buffalo's lack of wide receiver production, Cook is a stronger candidate to thrive in the closing weeks and continue the recent trend.
Cardinals
Over the past five weeks, Arizona has been the best HLO team in the NFL. Trey Benson's absence continues to siphon upside from the fantasy side as Bam Knight and Michael Carter have split the backfield in recent weeks with lesser talent. Arizona has been a fruitful and thriving HLO situation with Jacoby Brissett under center. The Cardinals are within reach of finishing the season as high as No.2 in overall HLO. Bam Knight is a decent streaming option until (if) Trey Benson returns.