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
Eagles
While one week is not a trend, especially against the Raiders, Philadelphia finally posted a high-level HLO game in Week 15. It was their first weekly finish above 12th. Three of their most recent four games have been above their seasonal average, which is good news. Saquon Barkley's optics and optimization point to better odds of being a league winner in the next two weeks than earlier in the season. Tank Bigsby still has Week 17 for a potential clarified start if Barkley is injured as well.
Falcons
Atlanta has had higher variance than the other strong HLO teams for the season, but Bijan Robinson logged their best HLO result of the season in Week 15. Another key aspect has been tempering down Tyler Allgeier's role, which was on display against Tampa Bay as Allgeier had just two carries and ran six routes. Like Tank Bigsby and others, Allgeier still has time to benefit from a Bijan Robinson injury and be a league winner in Week 17.
Bills
Buffalo continues its rise up the HLO rankings with its third straight week of a No.7 or better ranking. This, after being the worst HLO team in the NFL in the midseason block of Weeks 5-8. James Cook is a big-play maven, so the goal-line carries and occasional targets are merely a boost to his already high weekly ceiling.