What are Fantasy Football Handcuffs? - Bleacher Nation (2024)

It’s fantasy football season and you are figuring out who you want to draft, planning your lineup, and more for the NFL season. You’ve heard the term before but what are fantasy football handcuffs? Here’s what you need to know about fantasy football running back handcuffs, backup running backs, and more.

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Fantasy Football Handcuffs

A fantasy handcuff is referring to a backup player who would take over for a team’s starter in the event of any missed time due to an injury or other reasons. Handcuffs are skill players and it’s common for fantasy football managers to seek out running backs.

Read More: How to Play Fantasy Football

Running Back Handcuffs

Running backs are the most common handcuffs in fantasy football because of the demand from the position. Fantasy managers will add an RB handcuff because starters can get injured due to the brutality of being a running back.

Figuring out who a handcuff is for the season is a process. It’s best to review the depth charts of all the 2024 NFL rosters and see who is slated in the backfield. Then, you need to examine which player will benefit most if the starter were to go down. You need to figure out which RB2 will become the feature back if the top guy goes out.

Examples of Fantasy Football Handcuffs

Judging who is a handcuff is not easy. It can be difficult to pick which running back doesn’t have standalone value and really only serves as a true backup to the starter that gets most of the touches. Here are a few examples of running backs that might be considered handcuffs in fantasy drafts for the 2024 season. As always, take the time to do extensive research before you commit to drafting a handcuff.

RB – Jerome Ford – Browns

Nick Chubb is elite when he plays but he played just 2 games last year due to a torn ACL. Ford filled in to run for over 800 yards and is a legitimate option if Chubb is dealing with injuries or not bouncing back immediately from injury.

RB Austin Ekeler – Commanders

Brian Robinson Jr. had 733 yards in 15 games last season and his backup this season will be Austin Ekeler. Ekeler can be used in a variety of ways out of the backfield and is a great pass catcher. He would be a good option to put up fantasy points if Robinson misses any games or isn’t getting great production.

RB Trey Benson – Cardinals

He might be a rookie, but Benson is playing with James Conner in Arizona. Conner has never played a full season and played 13 of 17 games in the past two seasons. He has a history of injuries which means Benson, a third-rounder in 2024, could see himself as a feature back if Conner goes down.

Handcuffs in Dynasty Leagues

In a re-draft league, you can likely find a handcuff on the waiver wire. For a dynasty league, managers can’t rely on the waiver wire because of the depth of the rosters. So for a dynasty league, you will likely have a handcuff on your roster at the running back position.

Read More: Dynasty League Explained

Wrap-Up: Finding the Right Option

As you can see, picking a true handcuff in fantasy sports can be difficult. These are some potential examples of handcuffs for the 2024 season but at the end of the day, you need to take a hard look at all the rosters. That will help you figure out if a potential handcuff is a backup or will split time with the lead running back.

We have seen that no running back is safe from injury or suspension. Players like Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb, and more have missed time at RB1 which has led to more carries for a backup. What handcuffs do you see exploding onto the scene in 2024 fantasy football?

Fantasy Football Handcuffs FAQs

What is a fantasy football handcuff?

A fantasy football handcuff is a player that will take over as the main starter if a particular skill player goes down to injury, suspension, etc.

What makes a good fantasy football handcuff?

A good fantasy handcuff is usually an NFL running back that will end up getting the bulk of carries if you see the starter gets hurt. They are truly a backup skill player and only will find their way into a starting role if the starter is out.

What position is the most common for handcuffs in fantasy leagues?

Running back is the most common and will dominate the handcuff rankings of fantasy football drafts. This is because running backs are most likely to get injured or miss time due to the demand of the position.

What are Fantasy Football Handcuffs? - Bleacher Nation (2)

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Sam hails from Grandville, Michigan. He has a rich sports background, including playing baseball at Central Michigan before covering high school sports and working with the Orlando Magic. He earned his broadcasting/journalism degree from Central Michigan University and was a member of the 2010 MAC Championship baseball team.Sam developed his expertise while working with Betsperts, Bleacher Nation, and 4for4 in various areas such as writing, social media, betting research, and business development. He's a big fan of the NBA, NFL, and MLB, highly interested in data and statistics.

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FAQs

What are Fantasy Football Handcuffs? - Bleacher Nation? ›

A fantasy handcuff is referring to a backup player who would take over for a team's starter in the event of any missed time due to an injury or other reasons. Handcuffs are skill players and it's common for fantasy football managers to seek out running backs.

What are handcuffs in fantasy football? ›

A fantasy handcuff is a backup that will likely take over for a team's starter in the event of an injury. A common strategy on draft day is to stash the backups of the prominent RBs you've drafted. Below is a chart of each team's handcuff along with their Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) and current ADP.

Who is McCaffrey handcuff? ›

For those who draft McCaffrey, Mitchell should be the handcuff, and his RB5 ADP ranking puts him in a position that it wouldn't be a reach. The reason for that recommendation comes from the largely unremembered, meaningless final six quarters of the 49ers' regular season.

Who is Kyren Williams' handcuff? ›

The handcuff to established stud Kyren Williams, Blake Corum will need a Kyren Williams injury to be fantasy relevant. Corum showed enough at Michigan that he has the juice and burst to be the guy when called upon.

Who is Tony Pollard's handcuff? ›

Starter: Tony Pollard. Handcuff: Deuce Vaughn. Analysis: We're ready to Buff that Cuff, regardless of what the official depth charts say.

Are fantasy handcuffs worth it? ›

Should you handcuff in fantasy football? There is no right or wrong answer. Ultimately, handcuffing is fantasy football's version of insurance.

What's the point of handcuffs? ›

Handcuffs are a type of restraint, often used by police to ensure suspects cannot escape or hurt anyone. They do this by securing a person's wrists together. They are usually metal and consist of two parts linked together by a chain.

Why did Carolina give up McCaffrey? ›

The Panthers were a struggling team that was limited by how much it needed to force feed McCaffrey with little talent around him. Ultimately, the Panthers decided to get out of his market-leading running back deal and use future compensation to spread out the talent on the depth chart.

Did McCaffrey used to be a qb? ›

McCaffrey was a backup quarterback at Rice and moved to wide receiver to get on the field. He shined, and the Commanders drafted him in the third round. At the end of his 2021 season at Rice University, quarterback Luke McCaffrey approached Coach Mike Bloomgren with a proposal. What if he changed positions?

Is Luke McCaffrey a quarterback? ›

Luke McCaffrey (born April 2, 2001) is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Rice Owls, originally at quarterback before switching to wide receiver at Rice.

Who is Nick Chubbs' handcuff? ›

Who is the Browns backup RB? Chubb's backup is Jerome Ford.

Was Kyren Williams a rookie? ›

The 2023 season was packed with pleasant surprises, including the sudden emergence of Kyren Williams. After rushing for just 139 yards on 35 attempts as a rookie, Williams exploded in 2023, racking up 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on 228 carries tallied in just 12 games.

What NFL team did Kyren Williams go to? ›

Kyren Williams was the definition of a bell cow for the Los Angeles Rams last season, carrying the ball 228 times in the 12 games he played, while also leading the NFL in rushing yards per game (95.3).

Who is Najee's handcuff? ›

What is a fantasy football handcuff?
TeamProjected StarterHandcuff
New York JetsBreece HallBraelon Allen
Philadelphia EaglesSaquon BarkleyWill Shipley
Pittsburgh SteelersNajee HarrisJaylen Warren
Seattle SeahawksKenneth Walker IIIZach Charbonnet
28 more rows

Who is Kamaras handcuff? ›

Kendre Miller/Jamaal Williams --> Alvin Kamara, Saints: Kamara hasn't missed much time due to injuries over the years, but he is entering his age-29 season. Should he be forced to miss time this season, I'd rank Miller over Williams as Kamara's handcuff.

What does RB handcuff mean? ›

A fantasy handcuff is referring to a backup player who would take over for a team's starter in the event of any missed time due to an injury or other reasons. Handcuffs are skill players and it's common for fantasy football managers to seek out running backs.

Who is Barkley's handcuff? ›

He injured his ankle in 2021 and again in 2023, both of which caused him to miss time. All of that points to Barkley's handcuff, Kenneth Gainwell, having some terrific value. He received 84 carries in this Eagles offense last year and averaged 4.3 yards per carry.

What is handcuff explanation? ›

Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar.

What is the golden handcuff rule? ›

Golden handcuffs refer to financial incentives and benefits offered to employees, typically in the form of deferred compensation, to encourage them to stay with the organization for an extended period of time.

Why is it called a handcuff? ›

Handcuffs are called hand cuffs because they are cuffs around your wrists, tight enough to prevent you from pulling your hands through the cuffs, which are a smaller diameter than your hands.

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