Injuries. They are the unstoppable, unescapable nightmare of fantasy football players. No matter how good your team is, injuries lurk there in the shadows, waiting to take away your stars at the least opportune time. And no position is more exposed to this than fantasy football running backs. That’s why you need a good grasp on fantasy football handcuff rankings. 

That’s why it’s so important for us to know who the backup running backs are. Who is the running back handcuff that will thrive if the starter goes down? It’s often the source of some of the top running back sleepers in fantasy football from year to year. But, in the modern era, not all backfields are divided evenly. Not all backup running backs have the same upside. And, unlike the early years of fantasy football, the fantasy football handcuff rankings are harder than ever to make. So let’s dive in now to discuss the different types of running back handcuffs and how to value them in fantasy football. 

What is a Handcuff in Fantasy Football?

The “running back handcuff” is one of the oldest terms in the fantasy football space. It goes back to the early days of fantasy football running back rankings, when the starting running back for most teams took the vast majority of snaps while the backup didn’t even play. But if the starter got hurt, the backup would often inherit a massive role. With great running backs, you were wise to also draft their handcuff late.

For example, Priest Holmes scored 48 rushing touchdowns over a two-season span in Kansas City in 2002 and 2003. That sounds cartoonish, but it’s real. In 2005, he started the season scoring six touchdowns in seven games, but suffered a serious injury. From that moment on, through the following season, his backup, Larry Johnson, took over. And he scored 37 touchdowns over those ~2 seasons.

Now, in the modern NFL, the “handcuff” isn’t quite as powerful, given that backfields aren’t as consolidated. But there are still a lot of ways to take advantage of contingent upside out there. We’ll look at RB Training Camp Battles in a different article, for this one, let’s focus on the different types of handcuffs out there.

 

 

 

Tier 1 Handcuff Plus (Standalone Value)

The definition of a “handcuff plus” is actually pretty simple. They are not the “starter”. But they technically have enough standalone value that you can start them in your fantasy league if need be. And they also have contingent upside if the “starter” does get hurt. Pretty much every running back drafted in the top 20 in our consensus ADP is a starting back, but the first 32 backs drafted in fantasy drafts are not all starters, as you will see. 

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots, ADP RB21

In 2025, rookie TreVeyon Henderson only started four games. And those were the four games that Rhamondre Stevenson missed. In those four games, however, Henderson looked fantastic - especially the Buccaneers game (147 rushing yards and two TDs) and the Jets game (93 total yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns).

That said, Henderson had one glaring flaw in 2025. He struggled in pass blocking. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded outside the top 100 backs. It didn’t help that Stevenson was one of the best. There is hope that Henderson’s role grows naturally or that he even takes over as the starter, but regardless, he is a guy you can start in the flex or even at RB2 that has BIG upside if Stevenson goes down. 

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos, ADP RB32

RJ Harvey actually has a similar story to Henderson. He was drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft as well and is also an exciting, explosive young back. He’s also dealing with a more experienced veteran back in JK Dobbins. And Harvey also looked great in the games when the starter was out, except in this case, Dobbins missed most of the regular season, so Harvey racked up 13 touchdowns.

Like Henderson, Harvey should have a role on pass downs and operating in space. One of the reasons that Harvey goes later than Henderson is that the Broncos opted to draft a rookie RB on Day 3 in Jonah Coleman. So, if Dobbins does go down, Harvey is not guaranteed that full role. So, with this one, you really need to bet on the talent of Harvey winning out.

Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears, ADP RB33

D’Andre Swift missed one game last year, in Week 9. And that was the only official start for Kyle Monangai in his rookie season. And, in that game, he ran for 176 yards while catching 3 passes for 22 yards. Pretty darn good. But when healthy, Swift went back to being the starter and primary ball carrier. That kept Monangai in check, for the most part.

That said, Monangai was able to push the split to the point that he got over 40% of the snaps in most of the games in the second half and even surpassed 50% in Week 12. Swift still played over him in every game except Week 12, but Monangai had his own standalone value. Maybe he can push the split further to the point that he is the true “run down” back, and Swift is the pass down guy, but even then, he has standalone value. And one Swift injury could see big upside for Monangai. 

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ADP RB35

Last year, Bucky Irving hurt his shoulder. That saw Rachaad White not only take his typical pass snaps but also lead the team in goal-line carries. Irving’s shoulder continued to bother him into this offseason, which typically wouldn’t bother us much in July, as long as he gets healthy. But it is a little concerning that sportsbooks like BetMGM have Irving’s over/under rushing touchdown total set at only 5.5. That’s at the same level as someone like Blake Corum (more on him later).

The Buccaneers also made the move to upgrade from Rachaad White this offseason by paying Kenneth Gainwell $12M. Not only will Gainwell likely get the pass-down work where he got 73 targets last year, but he would have contingent value if Irving isn’t a full go at any point. That makes Gainwell one of our favorite picks this year. 

Tier 2 Pure Handcuff (Biggest Injury Upside)

Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams, ADP RB36

If you like Kyle Monangai, you should probably also like Blake Corum. The idea is fairly similar here, though Corum never really pushed that 40% snap share mark consistently  - he hovered closer to the 30-35% range. Still, the stranglehold that Corum used to have on the snap share for the Rams was eroded away as Sean McVay leaned more into offensive rotations than ever. That actually puts Corum on the fringe of handcuff plus territory.

Still, the main appeal to Corum would be a Kyren Williams injury. If that were to happen, McVay could resort to his old ways for however long Williams is out. And Corum could be unleashed in what should be one of the league’s best offenses again. He might have the highest pure handcuff upside of any back with that in mind. 

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Detroit Lions, ADP, RB50

I get it. We love Jahmyr Gibbs. I have him ranked RB1. And Dan Campbell has called him the bell cow. So everyone is really excited for that. But this is the handcuff article, so we have to consider contingent upside if something were to happen. And, on a really thin depth chart, Isiah Pacheco is the clear next man up.

Let’s also keep in mind that the Lions COULD use Pacheco for short-yardage duty to some degree. While guys like Jeremiyah Love, Breece Hall, De’Von Achane, Bucky Irving, etc. have over/under rushing TD totals of 5.5, Pacheco sits right there at 4.5. So he’s not only an interesting handcuff play, but he might have some random vulture TD appeal in best ball. 

Brian Robinson Jr, RB, Atlanta, ADP RB54

Not every blurb here needs to be a long write-up if the concept is simple. Tyler Allgeier is out, Brian Robinson is in. The starter, Bijan Robinson, is either the first or second player picked in virtually every draft. That makes him the “next man up” for the Atlanta Falcons as a classic handcuff if anything were to happen to Bijan. 

 

 

 

Tier 3 Speculative Handcuff (Rookie RBs)

Emmett Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs, RB54

There are some out there who believe that Kansas City Chiefs rookie Emmett Johnson could even be a handcuff plus. They point to the pass-blocking struggles of Kenneth Walker as potentially leaving that door open. Johnson was one of the more popular pre-draft backs, so his slide in the NFL Draft was a little unexpected. But the landing spot immediately got folks fired up.

The thing is, we have no idea where Johnson fits on the Kansas City Chiefs pecking order. Sure, his pass-catching chops would have him actually playing on Sundays. But, as a rookie, he could easily be the RB4 and possibly even inactive on Sundays as well. It’s fun to speculate, but folks should remember a lot of the previous hyped up rookie Chiefs backs, like Darwin Thompson. 

Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers, RB69

There are a lot of folks out there who like to guess which currently healthy wide receivers will get hurt. It’s not something we love doing, but that has never stopped others. And one of their favorite predictions, based on his own injury history and age, is Christian McCaffrey. The one problem is that we don’t know who the backup RB will be.

We do like Jordan James. He was a fifth-round pick, but there’s upside as he was behind Bucky Irving for most of his college career. But the 49ers also spent a fairly high third-round draft pick on Kaelon Black, a move that much of the media has called into question. But the 49ers believe in their process and, if you believe in it too, that would make Black the more exciting handcuff for McCaffrey. We need to pay close attention to training camp and the news coming out of it for this one.

Seth McGowan, RB, Indianapolis Colts, RB87

This is another one where we are operating on speculation - and leaning into the rookie. Yes, DJ Giddens was a fifth-round pick last year, while McGowan was a sixth-round pick this year. But Giddens didn’t particularly impress in his limited work last season. In fact, he was made a healthy scratch in a number of games. Even if part of that is because he didn’t play special teams, it also meant it wasn’t worth having him available in case of a Taylor injury.

So the door is open for rookie Seth McGowan. And he’s gotten some praise this offseason for his intelligence and ease in picking up the playbook from none other than Jonathan Taylor himself. In regards to the RB2 competition, coach Shane Steichen said that the RB position is hard to evaluate before the pads come on in training camp. But we are giving the speculative nod to McGowan behind one of the most important backs in fantasy. 

Handcuffs to Avoid in Fantasy Football Drafts

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks, RB42

Drafting currently injured players, hoping that they come back down the stretch and save your season, is a dicey game. You don’t even know if you are going to be competing at that point. If you don’t have an IR spot, you might not be able to even hold the player that long. Even with just one IR spot, NFL injuries are cruel and relentless, so that could even be a stretch.

And that’s for players we view as “very good”. Players that are worth stashing. Charbonnet doesn’t quite even fall into that category. They used their first round pick on Jadarian Price, they signed Emanuel Wilson, and George Holani has even impressed some folks in camp. Zach Charbonnet might end up the handcuff to first-round pick Price, even when back, so drafting and holding him all year feels like a lot of effort for minimal return. 

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Arizona Cardinals, RB46

I’m a little confused by this pick here. The Cardinals are coming off a three-win season. As of the writing of this article, we don’t know who the starting quarterback will be. The Cardinals had Trey Benson, they brought back James Conner, and then they signed Tyler Allgeier. That is already a pretty brutal situation.

And then they drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the NFL. Even Love, the presumed starter given his MASSIVE guaranteed contract, only has an over/under rushing TD total of 5.5 with sportsbooks. What exactly is the path to success for Allgeier that has people in on him? Very strange to me.

Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills, ADP RB71

Anyone familiar with our Running Back Questionnaire knows that the Bills have a strange backfield. James Cook starts. But he splits pass downs with Ty Johnson. Splits goal line work with Josh Allen. And he gives up garbage time to Ray Davis. His value has quietly been propelled by touchdowns, which is a little scary to rely on. 

If Cook goes down, Johnson would still take pass work. And Allen will still vulture touchdowns. So why are we holding onto this handcuff RB in the off-chance that the starter goes down so that he can, hopefully, inherit part of the role? We need either more standalone value or more upside.