Given the wear and tear of a 17-game NFL regular season, it’s an unfortunate reality that one of your fantasy running backs gets hurt. A winning strategy includes acquiring the backups (aka “handcuffs) to your starting RBs to fill out your bench spots. Understanding how a team utilizes their RBs, whether it’s a bellcow who’s out there for all three downs (Najee Harris, Dalvin Cook) or a committee with no true “RB1” (Broncos, Texans) factors into your handcuffing approach. All it takes is one snap, whether it be in the preseason or in Week 4 to completely change the complexion of a team’s RB depth chart.
Take the absences of Cam Akers (preseason injury) and David Montgomery (injured in Week 4) last year. After Akers tore his right Achilles in training camp, Darrell Henderson Jr. was a borderline RB1 in PPR formats for Weeks 1-12 before injuring his thigh. Bears rookie RB Khalil Herbert shouldered a much bigger load in the Bears offense, and from Weeks 5-8 he was a borderline RB1 in standard formats.
Herbert went undrafted in virtually every redraft league, signifying the importance of knowing who that next man up will be. While it stinks to lose a highly drafted weekly starter, if you have his replacement the drop-off isn’t as big as you might initially think.
Additionally, you don’t have to own a starting RB in order to own his handcuff. You could very well draft Tony Pollard and Jamaal Williams even if you didn’t select Ezekiel Elliott or D’Andre Swift. While those two handcuffs are much more appealing if you do draft Elliott and Swift, it can be a wise endeavor to target high-upside backups. Not only do they serve as bench depth or even potential trade bait, but they also might have standalone flex value, especially during the bye weeks.
The chart below will be updated frequently throughout the season as we do our best to stay on top of the ever-fluid world of RB depth charts. Keep in mind that some “handcuffs” won’t see major usage changes if the starter in front of them gets injured. Someone like Nyheim Hines will likely get a few extra carries, but his role as the Colts’ primary third-down/receiving back might not change much if Jonathan Taylor gets hurt. Conversely, someone like Alexander Mattison immediately becomes a must-have, every-week starter if Dalvin Cook were to get hurt.
Obviously, some handcuffs present more value than others, and understanding how a team might utilize its RBs can help with the handcuffs you target. Watching for usage during the preseason is key, as some coaches have different philosophies in how they approach their backfields, especially when you factor in down and place on the field. Continue to monitor injury situations and snap counts each week, making sure you’re ready to pounce once a depth chart change occurs.
Fantasy RB Handcuff Depth Chart 2022
| Team | Starter | Handcuff | Two-Deep |
| Arizona Cardinals1 | Eno Benjamin | Keaontay Ingram | Corey Clement |
| Atlanta Falcons2 | T. Allgeier/C. Huntley | Avery Williams | Committee |
| Baltimore Ravens3 | Gus Edwards | Kenyan Drake | Justice Hill |
| Buffalo Bills | Devin Singletary | James Cook | Zack Moss |
| Carolina Panthers4 | D’Onta Foreman | Raheem Blackshear | Spencer Brown |
| Chicago Bears | David Montgomery | Khalil Herbert | Trestan Ebner |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Mixon | Samaje Perine | Chris Evans |
| Cleveland Browns | Nick Chubb | Kareem Hunt | D’Ernest Johnson |
| Dallas Cowboys5 | Tony Pollard | Malik Davis | Qadree Ollison |
| Denver Broncos | M. Gordon/L. Murray | Chase Edmonds | Marlon Mack |
| Detroit Lions | D. Swift/J. Williams | Craig Reynolds | Justin Jackson |
| Green Bay Packers | Aaron Jones | AJ Dillon | Patrick Taylor |
| Houston Texans | Dameon Pierce | Rex Burkhead | Dare Ogunbowale |
| Indianapolis Colts | Jonathan Taylor | D. Jackson/N. Hines | Phillip Lindsay |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Travis Etienne | JaMycal Hasty | Snoop Conner |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Isiah Pacheco | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Jerick McKinnon |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Josh Jacobs | Zamir White | Brandon Bolden |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Austin Ekeler | Sony Michel | Committee |
| Los Angeles Rams6 | Ronnie Rivers | Darrell Henderson Jr. | Malcolm Brown |
| Miami Dolphins | Raheem Mostert | Jeff Wilson Jr. | Salvon Ahmed |
| Minnesota Vikings | Dalvin Cook | Alexander Mattison | Kene Nwangwu |
| New England Patriots | Rhamondre Stevenson | Damien Harris | Pierre Strong Jr. |
| New Orleans Saints | Alvin Kamara | Dwayne Washington | Committee |
| New York Giants | Saquon Barkley | Matt Breida | Gary Brightwell |
| New York Jets | M. Carter/J. Robinson | Ty Johnson | Committee |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Miles Sanders | Kenneth Gainwell | Boston Scott |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Najee Harris | Jaylen Warren | Benny Snell Jr. |
| San Francisco 49ers7 | Christian McCaffrey | Tyrion Davis-Price | Tevin Coleman |
| Seattle Seahawks | Kenneth Walker III | Travis Homer | DeeJay Dallas |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Leonard Fournette | Rachaad White | Ke’Shawn Vaughn |
| Tennessee Titans | Derrick Henry | Dontrell Hilliard | Hassan Haskins |
| Washington Commanders | Brian Robinson Jr. | Antonio Gibson | J.D. McKissic |
1 = Cardinals’ starter James Conner (rib) is out until at least Week 9. He will start when healthy.
2 = Falcons’ starter Cordarrelle Patterson (knee) is out until at least Week 9. Patterson should start when healthy.
3 = Ravens’ starter JK Dobbins (knee) is out until at least Week 12. He will compete for the starter’s role when healthy.
4 = Panthers’ committee back Chuba Hubbard (ankle) is out until at least Week 9. He will likely resume a key role in the Panthers’ committee when healthy.
5 = Cowboys’ starter Ezekiel Elliott (knee) is out until at least Week 10. He will start when healthy.
6 = Rams’ starter Cam Akers (personal) is out until at least Week 9 and will likely be traded. Backup Kyren Williams (ankle) is out until at least Week 9. He will compete for the starter’s role when healthy.
7 = 49ers back Elijah Mitchell (knee) is expected to be out until around Week 10. He will compete for the primary backup job when healthy.
