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There's a debatable difference between Zero RB draft targets and running back handcuffs in the realm of fantasy football. Zero RB draft picks ideally possess a blend of contingency value and standalone worth, enough to make them fantasy-starter worthy for Week 1. However, some of these commodities lack a high early-season ceiling.
The value of handcuffs, on the other hand, is generally overweight towards sheer contingency value. These commodities carry little fantasy usability while the starter ahead of them remains healthy, but they become relevant overnight if said starter gets injured. Names like A.J. Dillon, David Montgomery, and Zach Charbonnet have been excluded in this piece because they position as viable fantasy RB2/3 options straight out of fantasy drafts.
While it's preferred to target some late-round fliers near the very end of drafts, we can also elect to stockpile backs with elite contingency upside as luxury bench stashes on certain occasions. A common draft strategy is to not necessarily roster handcuffs to our starting running backs but more so the ones who would step into immediate RB1/2 standing in the event of an injury. Let's decipher some of the game's very best RB handcuffs.
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Elijah Mitchell- San Francisco 49ers
FFPC ADP: 124.2
It may be a stretch to deem Elijah Mitchell a pure handcuff, but let’s operate under the assumption that the oft-injured Christian McCaffrey acts as a sheer workhorse this season. Undrafted rookie Jordan Mason flashed at times last season (6.0 yards per carry) but the sample size is very limited at just 43 rushing attempts. 2022 third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price plodded along in 2022 (2.9 YPC), also seeing a mere 34 carries.
Mitchell maintained a role with McCaffrey, converting 9.8 attempts into 59.5 rushing yards per game across four contests together. However, he exceeded a 36% snap share only once over those four games, cementing the 25-year-old as more of a handcuff than anything else.
Mitchell is already being drafted at the end of most 10-team leagues, but it's hard to project much standalone worth here. McCaffrey may have played in all 17 games in '22, but he couldn't totally escape the injury report with a Week 3 thigh strain. Mitchell sprinted to 6.1 YPC in his limited action last year (45 carries) and would certainly function as a plug-and-play RB1 sans McCaffrey in San Francisco's high-octane offense.
Samaje Perine- Denver Broncos
FFPC ADP: 97.7
It’s hard to discern at this time if Samaje Perine is truly a sheer handcuff or not. That’s been his identity over his Bengals career behind starter Joe Mixon. However, he played well enough to eat into Mixon's workload at times last season.
On one hand, Denver's presumed lead back Javonte Williams is working his way back from an ACL and LCL tear that he sustained early in the '22 campaign. Perine could step into a featured role if Williams isn't cleared for Week 1 action. If Denver takes it slow with their young runner even after he returns, Perine could have some standalone value. Let's assume this is a temporary situation and Williams, who is the superior tailback overall, eventually handles 15+ touches per game when he is fully up to speed.
That leaves Perine with excellent contingency potential as a power back who can also catch. In three outings last season when he handled at least 70% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps, the 27-year-old churned up 330 scrimmage yards on 53 total touches. Despite a lack of explosiveness (1.1% breakaway run rate), there are not too many other ball carriers who would enter a three-down role like Perine's if Williams cannot play.
Tyler Allgeier- Atlanta Falcons
FFPC ADP: 128.7
Tyler Allgeier was one of fantasy’s biggest losers of the NFL Draft after Atlanta chose Marshawn Lynch-type Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick. Allgeier shifted from a Zero RB target to a pure handcuff with the move, albeit with arguably the highest contingency utility of any running back in 2023.
In four starting opportunities without Cordarrelle Patterson, Allgeier presented borderline RB2 production with 14.5 carries for 46.3 yards per game and two total touchdowns. The multi-dimensional Patterson devolved into more of a situational player after returning from a knee sprain in Week 9, paving the way for Allgeier's emergence. The fifth-round rookie swiftly developed into a league-winning fantasy pickup, amassing 19.8 attempts for 107.8 rushing yards per game over 2022's final four contests.
Allgeier may not have top-12 positional upside with Robinson healthy, but he would certainly warrant immediate RB1 attention with a clear workhorse role if Robinson ever goes down.
Jaylen Warren- Pittsburgh Steelers
FFPC ADP: 128.3
Jaylen Warren cut into Najee Harris’ role at times last season while the latter managed a Lisfranc injury. However, it's unfair to expect much standalone playability with Warren when the workhorse is healthy. Warren would stand out as an easy RB1 option if Harris were to get hurt, however. 2020 fourth-rounder Anthony McFarland Jr., who suited up for one game last year, is next on the depth chart.
Warren exhibited enough all-around ability in '22 to garner status as one of fantasy's best handcuffs entering '23, putting up a robust 5.6 yards per touch and a 40% juke rate last year. The 2022 undrafted runner led the way in expected points added among RBs a year ago, implying there's difference-making potential here if Harris remains hampered by the Lisfranc issue or misses time with another ailment.
High-End RB Handcuffs In 2023 Fantasy Football
Chuba Hubbard- Carolina Panthers
FFPC ADP: 154.8
Chuba Hubbard stepped up during past scenarios when Christian McCaffrey was sidelined. Hubbard has collected an average of 13.7 touches for 64.5 total yards per game over 19 career contests without McCaffrey. The 24-year-old has been a perfectly adequate plug-and-play RB2 in these occurrences and should be treated similarly going forward. If new starter Miles Sanders ever goes down, Hubbard would likely step into a similar role after D’Onta Foreman's exit left behind a thin backfield depth chart.
Tyjae Spears- Tennessee Titans
FFPC ADP: 134.3
With 1,249 rush attempts since 2019, Derrick Henry has operated as the league’s ultimate bell-cow back for quite some time. But third-round rookie Tyjae Spears could be Tennessee's back of the future or perhaps even be called upon for a substantial role if needed in '23. Henry clearly carries a lot of mileage on his 29-year-old legs. Spears would likely constitute an RB2 fantasy play on a run-heavy Titans offense if Henry ever gets sidelined.
Spears registered 6.9 YPC during his senior year at Tulane, leading the NCAA with 21 touchdowns from scrimmage. The 22-year-old's 8.2% target share suggests Spears could hold his own in the passing game as well, fortifying his handcuff value as a prospective three-down back. Since Henry missed zero games in 2022, we'll have to look back to 2021 when he missed half the season. The backup, D'Onta Foreman, received a solid 14.8 attempts for 62.9 rushing yards per game in nine contests without Henry that year.
Other RB Handcuffs To Consider In 2023 Fantasy Football
Clyde Edwards-Helaire- Kansas City Chiefs
FFPC ADP: 179.2
This is a borderline one, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire actually figures to have more to gain than presumed No. 2 back Jerick McKinnon if Isiah Pacheco were to get injured. McKinnon's role as a passing-down back should remain relatively unchanged no matter who gets early-down work. So CEH would still enter the RB2 conversation if Pacheco ever gets shelved. Albeit a massive bust to this point, it was three years ago that the 2020 first-rounder was an early-round fantasy selection.
Jerome Ford- Cleveland Browns
FFPC ADP: 150.2
Jerome Ford appears to now assume backup duties to Nick Chubb with Kareem Hunt seemingly out of the picture. Ford figures to take on less of a standalone role than Hunt did during his Browns tenure. However, Hunt leaves behind a handcuff role that afforded him 19.4 touches for 86.6 total yards per game on five occasions sans Chubb in his Cleveland career.
Since Ford scarcely played in his rookie year, we'll look back at his college 6.1 YPC and decent 6.2% target share at Cincinnati. While the 23-year-old profiles as a power back, there are virtually no other backs on the depth chart who appear threatening enough to challenge him for significant touches in the event of a Chubb injury.
Honorable Mentions: Tank Bigsby (FFPC ADP: 125.4), Gus Edwards (208.0), Zamir White (196.0).
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