2018 Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuffs Chart

Jacob Camenker

2018 Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuffs Chart image

It's hard to blame fantasy football owners for hating running back handcuffs. The sad reality is that the only time a handcuff really becomes effective is once the starter in front of them on the depth chart gets hurt (or doesn't produce as expected, but that is rarer). Nobody likes to root for injuries, so that makes the backups unpopular with the exception of rookies, who are always more popular than they should be. Still, it's important to have a list of all the RB handcuffs ready, as you will likely need to pick up a handcuff or two from the waiver wire during the season, and you want to make sure that you're getting guys from good situations.

Depth charts are going to shuffle throughout the year. There are always players who step up out of nowhere and veterans who disappoint, so the pecking order for teams is often changing. There are still numerous position battles to be won and timeshares to be figured out, and those battles will continue throughout the regular season. Plus, there are some coaches who are notorious for switching up playing time on a weekly basis based on game plans and matchups (we're looking at you Bill Belichick). So, it's important to keep in mind that these are just projections, as starting roles and playing time can change on a dime in the NFL.

MORE FANTASY: Rankings | DFS | Player Updates

Another important note, receiving backs often play their own role in the backfield and aren't necessarily the traditional handcuff for a player. Often, receiving backs like Chris Thompson and Theo Riddick will stay in their roles with another primary runner taking over for the lead back. This may mean that the amount of carries for the receiving back won't change much, but the fact is that they will still see an increase in snaps and could outproduce the new "lead back" anyway. It all depends on the situation, and that's why a handful of pass-catching backs are included as handcuffs.

We'll do our best to stay on top of every situation. Check back often for updates throughout the season!

2018 fantasy football running back handcuffs

Team Projected Starter Projected Handcuff
Arizona CardinalsDavid JohnsonChase Edmonds*
Atlanta FalconsTevin ColemanBrian Hill
Baltimore RavensGus Edwards*Kenneth Dixon
Buffalo BillsLeSean McCoyKeith Ford*
Carolina PanthersChristian McCaffreyCameron Artis-Payne
Chicago BearsJordan HowardTarik Cohen
Cincinnati BengalsJoe MixonGiovani Bernard
Cleveland BrownsNick Chubb*Duke Johnson
Dallas CowboysEzekiel ElliottRod Smith
Denver BroncosPhillip Lindsay*Royce Freeman*
Detroit LionsZ. Zenner/L. BlountTheo Riddick
Green Bay PackersJamaal WilliamsKapri Bibbs
Houston Texans^Lamar MillerAlfred Blue
Indianapolis ColtsMarlon MackNyheim Hines*
Jacksonville JaguarsLeonard FournetteC. Hyde/T. Yeldon
Kansas City Chiefs^^Spencer WareDamien Williams
Los Angeles ChargersMelvin GordonA. Ekeler/J. Jackson*
Los Angeles Rams^^^Todd GurleyC.J. Anderson
Miami DolphinsK. Drake/K. Ballage*Senorise Perry
Minnesota VikingsDalvin CookLatavius Murray
New England PatriotsS. Michel*/J. WhiteRex Burkhead
New Orleans SaintsAlvin KamaraMark Ingram
New York GiantsSaquon Barkley*Wayne Gallman
New York JetsElijah McGuireTrenton Cannon
Oakland RaidersDoug MartinJalen Richard
Philadelphia EaglesJosh Adams*W. Smallwood/D. Sproles
Pittsburgh Steelers^^^^James ConnerJ. Samuels*/S. Ridley
San Francisco 49ersMatt BreidaJeff Wilson Jr.*
Seattle SeahawksChris CarsonM. Davis/R. Penny*
Tampa Bay BucsPeyton BarberJacquizz Rodgers
Tennessee TitansDerrick HenryDion Lewis
Washington RedskinsAdrian PetersonChris Thompson

*Rookie

^Texans starter Lamar Miller (foot) missed Week 16
^^Chiefs starter Spencer Ware  (hamstring, shoulder) has missed Weeks 15 and 16
^^^Rams starter Todd Gurley (knee) missed Week 16
^^^^Steelers starter James Conner (ankle) has missed Weeks 14, 15, and 16


 

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.