As the 2025 NFL season draws closer, our fantasy football draft prep has kicked into high gear. In this article, we’ll discuss the top RB handcuffs for fantasy football 2025. Of course, everyone wants Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, or Jahmyr Gibbs on their teams this year. Yet, some fantasy football backup running backs can be plenty valuable, too. Before your drafts, it’s important to know about the best RB handcuffs 2025. These RB insurance picks could be the difference between winning and losing your league. 

If you haven’t already, check out Fantasy Alarm’s 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Guide. You can find fantasy football rankings, sleeper draft targets, top rookies, draft strategies, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk RB handcuffs for fantasy football 2025. 

 

 


 

Why Running Back Handcuffs Are Valuable In Fantasy Football

When drafting fantasy football teams, the best NFL running backs are always a priority. Drafting guys like Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson in the first round is obviously a good idea. Even getting two or three starting RBs in the first few rounds is a smart strategy. However, knowing the top RB handcuffs in fantasy football 2025 is important. 

Fantasy football backup running backs could wind up being every-week starters on your roster for a few reasons. Unfortunately, injuries are a natural part of the game. Even the best RBs can suffer an injury and miss a couple of games or be sidelined for longer stretches. Grabbing RB insurance picks in your draft will help you mitigate the loss. Instead of scouring the waiver wire on short notice, having the plug-and-play replacement on your team already can be underrated. 

The best RB handcuffs 2025 may also end up producing more for fantasy than your starters. Injuries create opportunities and open up volume for fantasy football backup running backs around the league. In addition, a starting RB can simply underproduce while his handcuff eventually forces him into a bigger role. 

Just look at Bucky Irving last season. As a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was the RB53 in fantasy drafts. Yet, Irving finished the year with RB1 value as he became the guy over incumbent Rachaad White. We could see one of the names below follow a similar path, whether it’s due to performance-based reasons or injury. 

This RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 list also looks at players who may be on a good offense and could produce as a result. Injuries are one thing, but being in a favorable attack is also a key factor. The best RB handcuffs 2025 can be valuable assets just because they carve out a role or find themselves as the starter in prolific offenses. 


 

 

 

Top RB Handcuffs To Draft For 2025

Let’s now dive into the best RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 rankings. The four names below are being drafted in later rounds but could easily emerge as fantasy football sleepers. As you’re formulating your draft plan, keep an eye out for these fantasy football backup running backs. Don’t overlook how valuable some RB insurance picks can be on your roster. 

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (ADP 113, RB37)

When it comes to RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025, Zach Charbonnet is arguably the best and most proven option. Kenneth Walker is the established starter ahead of Charbonnet in the Seattle Seahawks backfield. Yet, the latter is the clear backup, and he showed last year what he can do when Walker is out. 

In five games with Walker sidelined in 2024, Charbonnet had three top-10 weekly PPR finishes among RBs. That includes the overall RB1 performance in Week 14, with a whopping 38 PPR points. Considering Walker has missed 10 games over three NFL seasons, there’s a good chance he misses some time this year. He’s already dealing with a sore foot in preseason. 

Charbonnet is a talented running back who could probably start for multiple teams around the league. He’s stuck behind Walker on the Seahawks’ depth chart, but there isn’t much competition behind him. The former second-round pick in the NFL Draft can easily produce as an RB1 on your roster if/when Walker misses games. He’s among the top RB insurance picks. 

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills (ADP 147, RB48) 

Ray Davis is on this RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 list for a few reasons. First off, he plays in a Buffalo Bills offense that’s expected to be one of the highest-scoring attacks in the NFL. Second, he’s locked into the clear No. 2 RB role for the Bills heading into the season. Those facts alone give him value as one of the best RB handcuffs in 2025. 

Then there’s the upside Davis showed last year as a rookie. When starter James Cook missed a game in Week 6, Davis stepped into bell-cow volume with 152 total yards on 23 touches. It was only a one-game sample size, but it was still a good glimpse of what he can do in a lead role. 

If you’re drafting Cook, then Davis should be a priority handcuff as one of the best fantasy football backup running backs. At Kentucky in 2023, he racked up 21 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 total yards despite facing tough SEC defenses. Cook has mostly avoided injuries thus far in his NFL career, but Davis is the ideal fill-in once his teammate misses time. 

Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers (ADP 149, RB50)

If you read my Running Backs To Avoid article, then you know the risks surrounding Christian McCaffrey. If you didn’t, here’s a Cliff’s Notes version. CMC played in just 4 games last year while dealing with multiple injuries. He’s also played in 7 or fewer games in three of his last five seasons now. The upside is still there, but McCaffrey is still a big injury risk for 2025.

CMC’s absences in recent seasons have resulted in the San Francisco 49ers having valuable fantasy football backup running backs. Last year, it was Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo at different points. With Mason gone, Guerendo has a chance to be among the top RB handcuffs in fantasy football 2025. 

As a rookie last year, Guerendo flashed when given the carries in the 49ers' offense. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry and showed off top-tier explosiveness. With McCaffrey out, Guerendo only had four games with more than 50% of the snap share. In those opportunities, though, he had the following PPR finishes: 10th, 2nd, 25th, and 11th. Not too shabby. 

The only concern with Guerendo is that he’s not the clear No. 2 RB on the 49ers’ depth chart. Rookie Jordan James, whom San Francisco drafted in the fifth round this year, could also emerge as the main backup to McCaffrey. 

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (ADP 157, RB54) 

Bijan Robinson is in the conversation to go No. 1 overall in fantasy drafts this year. That simple fact makes his direct backup one of the best RB handcuffs 2025. That would be Tyler Allgeier. If anything were to happen to Robinson, then Allgeier becomes a plug-and-play starter and tops the list of RB insurance picks. 

Allgeier not only has the backup job locked up for Atlanta, but he also offers proven production. Before Robinson got to town, Allgeier ran for 1,035 yards as a rookie in 2022. He’s also had 600+ rushing yards in both of the past two seasons despite Robinson being fully healthy. 

This is one of the more underrated names among the RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 list. Of course, no one is rooting for an injury to Robinson. But if the Falcons’ star were to miss a game or two for a minor reason, then Allgeier steps right into 20+ touches as the bell-cow. 

 

 


 

How Injuries Impact Running Back Handcuff Value

Now that we’ve discussed the top RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 draft targets, let’s talk injuries. Unfortunately, they’re just part of football. If you’re an NFL fan or if you’ve been playing fantasy football, then you know all about it. The best players, no matter how talented, can suffer short or long-term injuries on any given play. 

Of course, there are some more injury-prone players than others. That’s something you have to take into account when drafting a fantasy football team. If you take running backs who have injury histories, then you need to consider RB insurance picks with later-round selections.

There’s a good chance that one of your starting RBs will miss at least one game this year. That could be due to a minor ankle or hamstring injury, or it might be something more serious. You can try to avoid injury-prone guys, but again, that’s really only good in theory. There are certainly more durable RBs to draft. Yet, even those guys are susceptible to the season-ending injury now and again. 

This all makes the fantasy football backup running backs even more valuable. Obviously, you can choose to ignore this RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 list and deal with roster replacements on the waiver wire. If you’re in a deeper league, though, your specific handcuff could be long gone by the time you need him in case of injury. 

 

 


 

Draft Strategies For Using RB Handcuffs Effectively

Now let’s talk RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 draft strategies. There are smart ways to draft fantasy football backup running backs and pinpoint your RB insurance picks. At the same time, taking a late-round shot on a handcuff could pay off either way. Let’s break it down. 

Take the Zach Charbonnet situation in Seattle. If you draft Kenneth Walker, then you might not be inclined to use a 9th or 10th round pick on Charbonnet as well. However, doing so will guarantee you have the starting Seahawks RB on your team no matter what happens. Ideally, it’s Walker the whole season. But a missed game here or there will give you Charbonnet with fill-in RB1 upside. 

Then there’s the option of drafting Charbonnet even if you didn’t take Walker already. In doing so, you’re essentially banking on Walker missing time at some point this season. If that happens, then you have the Seahawks’ starting RB to either start yourself or trade at higher value to the guy who has Walker. You also must have your starting RBs in place and be prepared to stash Charbonnet on your bench. 

Another draft strategy surrounding RB handcuffs fantasy football 2025 includes reaching earlier than usual on a backup. If you drafted someone like Christian McCaffrey, then you may be more willing to grab the insurance with his backup in Isaac Guerendo. You also want to make sure no one else gets your handcuff and leaves you hanging if CMC is sidelined at all. In this case, grab Guerendo a round or two earlier than his ADP indicates. 


 

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