Welcome to the Week 17 Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Report! The fallout from injuries continues to wreak havoc on the fantasy football RB position. However, based on the way the New Orleans Saints managed their backfield in Week 16, head coaches could also be a major contributing factor to the havoc associated with the position.

With Week 17 being championship week in the fantasy football playoffs, there are a few backfields that especially need your attention. 

Keep an eye on TreVeyon Henerson’s status as Week 17 kickoff approaches. He won’t be able to play in a favorable matchup against the New York Jets unless he clears the NFL’s concussion protocol. Rhamondre Stevenson would slide in as the Patriots’ sole lead back this week, and he could potentially have a big week.

Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs looks like he’s a full go against the Baltimore Ravens this week. He’s been dealing with a knee and ankle injury, but was removed from the Packers’ Week 17 injury report. Emanuel Wilson would get the start should Jacobs suddenly suffer a setback before kickoff. 

There’s a chance that Omarion Hampton will have the Los Angeles Chargers’ backfield all to himself against the Houston Texans in Week 17. Kimani Vidal has missed practice time due to a neck injury this week.

Woody Marks (ankle), who was inactive in Week 16, is not on the Houston Texans’ injury report ahead of Week 17. Jawhar Jordan seems to have leapfrogged over Nick Chubb as Marks’ RB handcuff.

These are three other NFL backfields to take note of.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football NFL Week 17 Running Back Handcuff Report

Arizona Cardinals

It’s Week 17, and the Cardinals won’t publicly commit to naming their lead back for these last two weeks of the NFL season. Injuries have ravaged the Cardinals’ backfield this season, and while it appears that Michael Carter should be considered their RB1, their offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, suggested that the team may use a hot hand approach in Week 17. If we don’t know who the Cardinals’ lead back will be, we don’t know who should be considered the next man up, or RB handcuff. Corey Kiner played a season-high 15.8% of the team’s offensive snaps and had six carries in Week 16, and Emari Demercado was used as the team’s third-down back. Since he led the Cardinals' backfield in snaps played by a large margin in Week 16, we can expect Carter to be the team’s lead back, with Kiner the logical choice to take his place should Carter become unavailable. 

Cleveland Browns

There was a lot of hype before the start of the season surrounding the Browns’ rookie RB Quinshon Judkins. He made his debut in Week 2, and for the first four games of his season, Judkins seemed to be living up to the hype. He was averaging 87 rushing yards per game and 4.8 YPC, and he scored two touchdowns during that time span. Unfortunately, he only averaged 3.0 YPC in his next 10 games, and his rookie season came to a premature end last week when he fractured his fibula. Dylan Sampson had been considered his RB handcuff of late, but he was forced to miss the last two games due to a hand injury, and he’s been limited in practice this week. If Sampson is active, he’ll likely handle the bulk of the carries working out of the Browns’ backfield. If Sampson is forced to miss a third straight game, expect Raheim Sanders to play the early downs and Trayveon Williams to handle the passing down work.

 

 

 

New Orleans Saints

With Devin Neal placed on IR due to a hamstring injury, Audric Estime played the most snaps of any Saints RB in Week 16. He and Evan Hull each had five carries. However, it was “Jack of All Trades” Taysom Hill who led the Saints’ backfield with 16 carries last week. Will the Saints continue to use a QB/TE like Hill as the primary ball carrier out of their backfield over the last two games of the season? That is anyone's guess!