Welcome to the Week 16 RB Handcuff Report! If there’s one thing that Week 15 reminded us about, it’s that as Fantasy Football managers, we need to be prepared and ready to expect the unexpected. Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze was originally active for his Week 15 matchup, but just before kickoff, he aggravated a nagging foot injury that was bothering him all week, and he was declared out. 

You may be wondering why I’m talking about a WR in an RB handcuff article, but with the inherent volatility associated with the RB position, what happened to Odunze can happen to any one of the many RBs that fantasy football managers put in their starting lineups week after week. That’s why RB depth and familiarizing yourself with RB handcuffs who have a direct path to a starting role are so important at this point in the season. If you follow NFL player news, there are a lot of RBs who are dealing with what appear to be minor, nagging injuries, and there’s a good chance that we may see one or more RBs make their 2025 season debuts in Week 16, just in time for the second week of the fantasy football playoffs.

As always, we’ve got a lot of RB-related news to cover, and we’ll also identify a few NFL fantasy football backfields that you need to keep tabs on ahead of Week 16’s kickoff, in this week’s RB handcuff report.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football NFL Week 16 Running Back Handcuff Report

New Orleans Saints

Devin Neal (hamstring), a former RB handcuff who became the Saints’ primary back due to Alvin Kamara’s knee and ankle injuries, is officially out for Week 16, and head coach Kellen Moore suggested that his season could be over. It’s looking like the Saints will probably have Evan Hull and Audric Estime split the work out of their backfield for now, with Hull being the primary early down back and Estime being their primary pass-catching back. The Saints also recently signed Nyheim Hines to their practice squad this week, and he gives them RB depth, but their backfield should be avoided if at all possible.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals, whose backfield has been ravaged by injuries this season, placed Zonovan “Bam” Knight on IR, ending his season. That likely leaves Michael Carter as the Cardinals’ lead back for the rest of the season. Carter rushed for 56 yards and added four catches and 38 receiving yards against a tough Houston Texans defense in Week 15. Emari Demercado, who has been dealing with an ankle injury but was active in Week 15, should be considered Carter’s RB handcuff. If Demercado is unavailable, the recently signed Corey Kiner could see some action as well. 

Houston Texans

Woody Marks has missed practice time this week after suffering an ankle injury during his Week 15 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. He left the game, but the Texans suggested that he could have returned. Watch Marks’ progress as Week 16 kickoff approaches. Nick Chubb, Marks’ RB handcuff, was inactive in Week 15 due to a rib injury, but he’s been able to practice this week. Should either Marks or Chubb be unavailable for Week 16’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jawhar Jordan might get a chance to build upon his impressive Week 15 performance (101 rushing yards, 6.7 YPC, and two receptions for 17 yards).

Baltimore Ravens

Keaton Mitchell should still be considered Derrick Henry’s RB handcuff, but his role seems to be increasing as the season progresses. Mitchell’s snaps played rate (39%) was slightly higher than Henry’s (36.6%) in Week 15, but Henry had slightly more carries (11) than Mitchell (8). Mitchell’s Week 15 snap rate was his highest of the season. Perhaps the Ravens are looking to keep Henry fresh for a potential playoff run, and he did look good, rushing for 9.1 YPC in Week 15. However, if his usage trend continues, fantasy football managers who rostered Henry, hoping for his usual end-of-season heroics, are going to have a blue Christmas season.

 

 

 

Cleveland Browns

There’s a chance that Dylan Sampson (hand/calf) could be inactive for a second straight game in Week 16. Browns RBs have a good matchup against the Bills in Week 16, and should Sampson be out, look for Trayveon Williams to be the next man up as Quinshon Judkins’ RB handcuff. In that scenario, Raheim Sanders would round out the rest of the RB depth in the Browns’ backfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Bhayshul Tuten is expected to miss at least the next two weeks due to a finger injury. That cements LeQuint Allen’s role as Travis Etienne’s RB handcuff. The Jags signed DeeJay Dallas this week, and he gives them some much-needed RB depth.

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs has been playing through his various injuries this season, but he has missed practice time again this week. It’s a short week for the Packers, who play on Saturday, so watch Jacobs’ status as we get closer to kick off. Emanuel Wilson is Jacobs’ very capable RB handcuff and will operate as the Packers’ lead back should Jacobs be sidelined in Week 16. Chris Brooks (chest) has been limited in practice this week, but he would be next in line behind Wilson, followed by Pierre Strong Jr., if need be.