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
Raiders
While the shift to Mike Washington Jr. as the early-down back has been an alarming shift in recent weeks, the Raiders' HLO can support multiple fantasy-viable options. Week 8 marked their fourth straight week in the top 10 and fifth straight in the top 12. Ashton Jeanty has survived fantasy-wise with his receiving acumen and usage, and Mike Washington Jr. is essentially a touchdown-or-bust proposition. Either one without the other can be a high RB1 in the closing weeks of the season.
Packers
The run game is still struggling to find consistent footing from an efficiency standpoint, but the offense is feeding the right touches towards the position. While 13th on the season for overall HLO, they are closer to the top five dating back to Week 3. They were dreadful in the opening two weeks of the season and the worst in the NFL. Josh Jacobs has been a massive benefactor with his usage near the end zone and in the passing game since his return. Overall carries are not the most important aspect for a running back in itself; it is more what the workload represents, which is usually strong odds of collecting goal-line carries and targets as the RB1 for a depth chart, which Jacobs has in spades.