5 NFL Stats to Know Through Week 9

Christian McCaffrey's 72 Targets Lead All Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey's average of 8.0 targets over the Carolina Panthers' first nine games is at least 1.4 more targets per game than any other running back this season.

It also puts him in a club of just six other running backs to be targeted 70 or more times in their team's first nine games since at least 1999. He is also just the 14th rookie at any position to be targeted more than 70 times in his team's first nine games -- a group that Evan Engram can actually join with seven targets in Week 10.

While McCaffrey ranks third on the Panthers in carries (64), his 54 targets are 16 more than his next-closest teammate. His 24.91% target market share leads running backs and ranks 12th among all players.

If he can maintain this pace over the seven remaining games, McCaffrey's 127 targets would be the third-most of any running back in a season since at least 1999.

His light rushing workload brings down his fantasy value, especially in standard leagues where he averages just 8.0 fantasy points per game. However, his heavy involvement in the passing attack has led him to average the 14th-most PPR fantasy points per game (14.3) among all running backs.

Our models project him to lead all running backs with 8.9 targets in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins.