Targets and goal-line carries are the lifeblood of quality fantasy production at running back. A starting role and high-volume carry total are nice, but when those touches happen away from the end zone, they become 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
49ers
Back-to-back weeks as the No.1 HLO team have the 49ers at No.1 on the season plus No.1 in actual HLO production. Mike Evans' absence is a significant piece of the equation. After their Week 8 bye, look for San Francisco to get healthier at wide receiver with Evans and Demarcus Robinson potentially active and Christian Kirk more in the mix than his 'emergency' receiver status in Week 7 with his season debut. Christian McCaffrey avoided a significant injury with a thigh injury in-game but finished the contest and now gets a bye week to get back to full strength for Week 9.
Saints
For their struggles running the ball, the Saints are optimizing the running back position this season. Alvin Kamara is back to his elite pass-catching ways with an elite 36% target rate per route, and the team is in the top half of the league in goal-line carries for the position. While the pie is split with Kendre Miller occupying the sub-optimal carries, the offense is still one to monitor for future consolidation. The Saints have four weeks finishing in the top five of HLO and have not finished in the bottom 10 in any single week.