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Fantasy Football: The 5 Most Efficient Pass-Catching Running Backs in 2018

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Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs/Cleveland Browns

Target Success Rate: 62.86%
Target NEP per Target: 0.99

There really is no way to underscore just how otherworldly Kareem Hunt was in terms of catching passes in 2018. While his Success Rate was around two percent more than the next-highest back in our sample, his Target NEP per target was nearly twice as high as the next player.

Hunt's efficiency should be taken with a slight pinch of salt, at least when considering his output against some other players who we'll get to later. He played only 11 games for the Kansas City Chiefs last season before the team cut ties with him, and in those games he only saw 35 targets. This was good for a 9% market share. But he hauled in 26 of the targets at an eye-catching average of 14.54 a grab. He gained 50 or more yards in four games, with the highlight being his 5-catch, 105-yard game against the New England Patriots in Week 6.

It should be noted, however, that while was ludicrously effective with his targets, he was not the only one on the Chiefs. Six players on the roster saw 30 or more targets in 2018, and five of them had Success Rates in excess of 84%. That Patrick Mahomes guy is pretty good.

The Cleveland Browns signed Hunt prior to free agency, despite his facing a lengthy suspension for his off-the-field conduct. Hunt's efficiency, not to mention the solid rookie season enjoyed by Nick Chubb, has led many to think that his signing would make Duke Johnson expendable. A solid pass catcher in his own right, Johnson couldn't hold a candle to Hunt from an efficiency standpoint last season. But as we've seen, no one could.