In fantasy leagues, we tend to gravitate towards the running backs who will be featured around the goal line. We want the guy who’s going to punch in the 1- and 2-yard touchdowns. But those kind of players are rare. Reality is you don’t see a lot of teams consistently going to the same runner in goal-line situations.
Last year, for example, there were only 18 running backs who accounted for at least half of their team’s rushing attempts inside the 5. More commonly, you’re seeing multiple backs handle the ball. And for quarterbacks with the ability, they’ll keep it themselves on a healthy number of plays.
The exceptions have been the two LA backs. The Rams really fed it to Todd Gurley last year. And when Melvin Gordon has been healthy, he’s been about all the Chargers have used. Gordon has played in 29 games the last two years, and he’s carried the ball on 34 of his team’s 37 running plays (inside the 5) in those games.
| RUSHING INSIDE THE 5 (half of team's attempts) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | EZ% |
| Todd Gurley, LAR | 22 | 27 | 1.2 | 10 | 45% |
| Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 18 | 7 | .4 | 6 | 33% |
| Mark Ingram, N.O. | 16 | 18 | 1.1 | 8 | 50% |
| Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 16 | 19 | 1.2 | 5 | 31% |
| Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 15 | 12 | .8 | 6 | 40% |
| Melvin Gordon, LAC | 14 | 2 | .1 | 5 | 36% |
| LeGarrette Blount, Phil. | 13 | 1 | .1 | 1+1 | 15% |
| Latavius Murray, Minn. | 13 | 8 | .6 | 6 | 46% |
| LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 12 | 4 | .3 | 2 | 17% |
| C.J. Anderson, Den. | 11 | 9 | .8 | 2 | 18% |
| LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 11 | 12 | 1.1 | 7 | 64% |
| Marshawn Lynch, Oak. | 10 | 14 | 1.4 | 4 | 40% |
| Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 9 | 16 | 1.8 | 5 | 56% |
| Jordan Howard, Chi. | 9 | 20 | 2.2 | 4 | 44% |
| Orleans Darkwa, NYG | 8 | 6 | .8 | 3+1 | 50% |
| Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 8 | 8 | 1.0 | 4 | 50% |
| Joe Mixon, Cin. | 7 | 10 | 1.4 | 2 | 29% |
| Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 5 | 6 | 1.2 | 1+1 | 40% |
These stats, by the way, aren’t supplied by the league. These are home cooked. We’ve taken them out of the play-by-play reports. Note that they include not only the official plays but also the 2-point conversions (which technically aren’t considered plays). So in the touchdowns column, where it says “1+1” for LeGarrette Blount, that means he scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion.
Speaking of Blount, he was remarkably ineffective in that part of the field – just those 2 scores on his 13 carries. I am not confident he’s going to be particularly effective as a goal-line option for the Lions.
Of these players, only two others scored on fewer than 20 percent of their carries inside the 5 – LeSean McCoy and C.J. Anderson. I am nervous about McCoy; he’s 30, and he’s running behind a line that’s taken some shots, with Richie Incognito and Eric Wood both gone. The Bills also lost some depth at tackle when they decided to trade Cordy Glenn.
Another 39 players had at least 4 carries inside the 5 but didn’t have at least half of their team’s rushing attempts. That includes a pair with double-digit carries (Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott). Those guys are good backs and probably will rank among the top half-dozen in goal-line carries this year, but they didn’t have half of their team’s rushing attempts inside the 5 last year.
| OTHERS WITH 4-PLUS ATTEMPTS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | EZ% |
| Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 13 | 14 | 1.1 | 7 | 54% |
| Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 12 | 15 | 1.3 | 4 | 33% |
| Bilal Powell, NYJ | 9 | 2 | .2 | 3 | 33% |
| Peyton Barber, T.B. | 9 | 7 | .8 | 3 | 33% |
| Javorius Allen, Balt. | 9 | 5 | .6 | 2 | 22% |
| Chris Ivory, Jac. | 9 | 9 | 1.0 | 1 | 11% |
| Mike Gillislee, N.E. | 8 | 6 | .8 | 5 | 63% |
| Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 8 | 15 | 1.9 | 3 | 38% |
| DeShone Kizer, Cle. | 7 | 3 | .4 | 5 | 71% |
| DeMarco Murray, Tenn. | 7 | 9 | 1.3 | 4 | 57% |
| Rex Burkhead, N.E. | 7 | 8 | 1.1 | 4 | 57% |
| Robert Kelley, Wash. | 7 | 4 | .6 | 3 | 43% |
| Jerrick McKinnon, Minn. | 7 | 10 | 1.4 | 2+1 | 43% |
| Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 7 | 4 | .6 | 1 | 14% |
| Doug Martin, T.B. | 6 | 8 | 1.3 | 3+1 | 67% |
| Corey Clement, Phil. | 6 | 6 | 1.0 | 2+1 | 50% |
| Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 6 | 8 | 1.3 | 2+1 | 50% |
| Lamar Miller, Hou. | 6 | 10 | 1.7 | 3 | 50% |
| Dion Lewis, N.E. | 6 | 12 | 2.0 | 3 | 50% |
| Isaiah Crowell, Cle. | 6 | 5 | .8 | 0+1 | 17% |
| Mitchell Trubisky, Chi. | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | 2+1 | 60% |
| Cam Newton, Car. | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 2+1 | 60% |
| Tyrod Taylor, Buff. | 5 | 8 | 1.6 | 3 | 60% |
| Rod Smith, Dall. | 5 | 4 | .8 | 3 | 60% |
| Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 2 | 40% |
| Ty Montgomery, G.B. | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 1 | 20% |
| Alex Collins, Balt. | 5 | 6 | 1.2 | 1 | 20% |
| Alfred Morris, Dall. | 5 | 6 | 1.2 | 1 | 20% |
| Thomas Rawls, Sea. | 5 | -8 | -1.6 | 0 | 0% |
| Dw. Washington, Det. | 5 | 0 | .0 | 0 | 0% |
| Marlon Mack, Ind. | 4 | 3 | .8 | 2 | 50% |
| Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 2 | 50% |
| Robert Turbin, Ind. | 4 | 2 | .5 | 1 | 25% |
| Eddie Lacy, Sea. | 4 | 0 | .0 | 0 | 0% |
| Samaje Perine, Wash. | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | 1 | 25% |
| Josh McCown, NYJ | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 4 | 100% |
| Matt Forte, NYJ | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | 1 | 25% |
| Mike Tolbert, Buff. | 4 | -3 | -.8 | 1 | 25% |
| Ad. Peterson, Ariz.-N.O. | 4 | 1 | .3 | 1 | 25% |
—Ian Allan