Directional rushing update for Week 8

During the NFL season, we’re going to break down how different offenses are utilizing their running backs. As the year goes on, patterns begin to emerge that will allow us to anticipate and exploit mismatches between a defense and an offense that we’re targeting in fantasy football.                  

Rushing – Left

Out wide on the left-hand side, it doesn’t get much better than Derrick Henry. To be fair, he works all over the field. Jonathan Taylor isn’t far behind. He has less volume but has the best YPC off the left end of running backs with at least 3 carries in that zone. Most of these names are predictable because they’re the RB1s on their respective teams. Khalil Herbert and Javonte Williams don’t fit that bill, though, and they’ll be worth keeping an eye on.

Taylor only has 11 rushes in this direction, but he’s one of two running backs with more than 100 yards on left tackle runs. We see plenty of familiar names here, but one surprising appearance is Michael Carter. He’s gotten off to a slow start, as has the rest of this Jets team.

Aaron Jones has the highest yards per attempt so far this year among running backs with at least 10 plays in this section of the field. His 10.4 YPC is almost 4 yards greater than his nearest competitor. 

Rushing – Right

Tony Pollard and Joe Mixon lead the way in this category. They’re the only two running backs with over 100 yards. 

If you had D’Ernest Johnson in your office “Right Guard Runs” pool, congratulations! Damien Harris is doing most of his damage in this zone and headlines a list of four running backs that have crossed the century mark.

Rushing – Middle

Chase Edmonds and Ezekiel Elliott are tied atop the leaderboard here with 212 yards apiece on similar volume. Edmonds’ teammate James Conner is up near the top of this list. Proving once again, that no matter how many people try to convince you that Kliff Kingsbury is sharp it’s just not true. We know better by now.