When researching running backs for the upcoming fantasy football season, it’s important to also research their “handcuffs” as well. I hate to use the word in this context but running backs are, in essence, the most fragile position in terms of fantasy. For the record, I believe running backs are some of the toughest players in the NFL. It’s just that their bodies go through so much wear and tear throughout the long NFL season that they are more subject to injuries, particularly those with a higher workload. That’s why it’s important to not only value a top player at the position, but also their handcuffs.
If you’re relatively new to fantasy football and are not sure what a handcuff is, think of it as an insurance policy. Handcuffs are generally backup running backs that don’t normally get a lot of playing time, but could thrive in a system should a top player go down in the event of an injury (or suspension). Fantasy owners will typically stash handcuffs on his/her bench in case the top starter goes down with an injury. They are not players you look to draft early, but rather in the mid-to-late rounds, depending on the player’s value. They are not exactly “sleepers” either although there can be some similarities. Players that are also typically used in a committee approach, dividing the workload relatively even, are not always viewed as handcuffs either. However, should one of those players go down then the value of the other could skyrocket.
Still, I wouldn’t view players like Giovani Bernard or Theo Riddick as handcuffs. Both players see the field quite often and are more than capable of outperforming their starting counterparts even if they are fully healthy, particularly in PPR formats. It may feel like a waste of a roster spot at first to have a handcuff sitting on your bench, but if that player becomes a hot commodity all of a sudden you’ll be grateful that you kept him instead of holding out hope for the next waiver wire claim. Here are some of the top handcuffs you can expect to see for 2016.
DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
DeAngelo Williams is the perfect example of the ideal handcuff, and arguably, the top-rated one going into 2016 as the primary backup to Le’Veon Bell. Williams was exceptional in 2015 when given the starting nod. Some fantasy owners were skeptical going into 2015 about Williams as a complementary backup since he didn’t impress very much from a fantasy standpoint during his tenure in Carolina. He was always rated pretty high but never lived up to expectations. However, those who took a chance on him last year, and even more so, the ones who held on to him even after Bell returned from his suspension were rewarded heavily. Bell went down in week 8 with an MCL injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the season. Williams then became the most sought after player.
He finished the season 4th among running backs in PPR formats and could have had a real shot at number 1 had he started the entire year. That’s the benefit of playing in the Steelers system. This season, Williams is back as Bell’s primary backup but his draft stock could dip a little since Bell won’t be suspended and is expected to be healthy by the start of the season. The Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) ranks Williams 47th among running backs with his Average Draft Position (ADP) going around the 10th round. Bell does have an injury history, so if you take him with your first pick don’t be afraid to reach on Williams later on if you have to.
Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson is the man in Minnesota. There are rumors that Jerick McKinnon could take away from some of Peterson’s carries in 2016 but that remains to be seen. Similar rumblings were spoken of in the 2015 preseason, but Peterson still got the bulk of the carries so don’t believe everything you hear. With that said, however, McKinnon has made the most of his touches when given the opportunity. In fact, he’s an interesting prospect in a PPR league regardless of Peterson’s availability based on his abilities to catch the ball out of the backfield. However, I wouldn’t risk starting him in your lineup with a healthy Peterson unless you’re looking for some deep value in your daily fantasy lineup.
He’s proven himself over teammate Matt Asiata as the Vikings primary backup and will likely see a lot of his touches come on passing downs. McKinnon has respectable numbers rushing the football well with a career 4.9-yard average in his two seasons. Him and Asiata split duties for the most part in 2014 while Peterson was out with a suspension but McKinnon appeared to be the more athletic of the two. As it stands, McKinnon has an ADP at or around the 13th round so there’s a good chance he could go undrafted in a lot of leagues. Try to scoop him up if you can before selecting a defense and kicker.
Charcandrick West / Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs 
You have to mention both players here since it’s a toss-up as to who will get the nod should Jamaal Charles go down with an injury yet again. My money is on Sharknado though. Last season, fantasy owners scooped up Knile Davis as Charles’ handcuff based on his performance in 2014. Davis did very well filling in for Charles then, but for whatever reason, Coach Andy Reid turned to Charcandrick West as the lead dog when Charles suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Sharknado filled in admirably for the Chiefs like they hadn’t missed a beat until, he too, went down with a hamstring injury later in the year.
Fans then expected Davis to be called up but it was Spencer Ware who was given the nod. Sharknado returned shortly after his hamstring injury and the Chiefs split the carries among him and West for the remainder of the year. The split in carries made it difficult to choose who to start at the end of the season. With playoffs and championships on the line most fantasy owners turned to other options. Charles is still named the starter for 2016 but either player would fill-in greatly if given the opportunity. The only issue would be is if both are asked to do it again.
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Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills traded for starting running back LeSean McCoy prior to the 2015 NFL Draft but that didn’t stop them from drafting Karlos Williams from Florida State in the 5th round. Williams was stellar as a rookie despite some injuries that caused him to miss 5 games in 2015. He rushed the ball just 93 times as a rookie but at a very impressive 5.6-yard average. McCoy averaged just 4.4 yards per carry in 2015. Williams takes a slight dip in PPR leagues as he wasn’t very involved in the passing game for Buffalo compared to how McCoy is utilized. Still, Williams did finish the season with 9 total touchdowns, however, tying a Bills rookie record.
Williams is already a strong RB2 candidate and could be talked about as a high-end RB1 should anything happen to McCoy. As good as his rookie season went, however, Williams will need to make sure he doesn’t suffer from a sophomore slump. He showed up to Buffalo’s minicamp a few weeks ago out of shape, and ironically, blamed his wife’s pregnancy on his own weight gain. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Williams is the 37th ranked running back for 2016 with an ADP right around that area. Should he remain healthy, Williams can expect to be a nice complement to McCoy and highly capable of running the show if asked to do so. If he doesn’t get his weight down, however, he could quickly become a bust and fall deeper on Buffalo’s depth chart.
Tim Hightower, New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints were a disappointment to say the least in 2015 but fantasy owners got a lot of production out of their lead backs. Funny, seeing as New Orleans still ranked 24th in rushing last season. However, lead back Mark Ingram was fairly consistent for owners averaging 17 fantasy points per game over 12 games. Even in just 12 games, Ingram finished in the top 10 among running backs in PPR formats. It was expected that C.J. Spiller would fill in as the primary backup, at worst, if not take the lead back role away from Ingram in preseason talks but that idea turned south fast.
Spiller was supposed to re-surge his career in New Orleans but he turned in his worst season ever instead. Tim Hightower had not played a down in the NFL for four years but the Saints gave him an opportunity after Ingram suffered from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the final 6 weeks. Hightower made the most of his opportunity and put in some very impressive fantasy numbers for owners who were lucky enough to pick him up off the waiver wire. There’s no flash with Hightower but running backs have a high workload in an uptempo Saints offense that includes both rushing and receiving. Hightower will most likely go unnoticed in many drafts but he’s worth a pickup for Ingram owners and will be a hot wire prospect should Ingram have to miss any time.
Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
David Johnson is the clear starter in Arizona after proving his worth in the latter part of 2015, but Chris Johnson could be one of the most sought after handcuffs in preseason drafts. Chris and teammate Andre Ellington held the majority of the workload last year while David still got accustomed to the game. Chris and Ellington both got injured in the same game, however, and David was not willing to give the starting role back after that.
Chris Johnson may no longer be the same running back we saw in Tennessee when he rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2009 and over 1,000 every other season as a Titan but he’s shown that he’s till got it. His lone season as a Jet doesn’t count, because well, it’s the Jets. In just 11 games last season with the Cardinals he rushed for over 800 yards and was well on his way to the 1,000-yard mark before his injury. Fantasy Pros isn’t being too kind in ranking CJ2K this upcoming season, possibly predicting that David Johnson will be an every-down back. That may be true but Arizona coach, Bruce Arians, loves to use his running backs. If David is to go down with an injury, CJ2K will likely carry a high workload even at his age.
Bilal Powell, New York Jets
Speaking of those Jets. Powell is one of my favorite players to target for PPR leagues. He’s one of the few running backs you will see with more receiving yards than rushing. It’s tough to predict how Powell will fit in with New York this year, however, after they acquired former Bear Matt Forte in free agency. Forte, himself, is an excellent receiver coming out of the backfield. At the age of 30, however, don’t expect Forte to be the every-down back he was most of the time in Chicago.
Powell has only rushed for 1,600 yards throughout his career since entering the league in 2011. If we were referring to standard leagues I wouldn’t mention him at all, but in PPR he brings some really good value. Last year, he pulled in 47 receptions for nearly 400 yards and a couple of touchdowns in 11 games. His value may go down now that one-dimensional Chris Ivory is in Jacksonville but I still expect to see Powell on offense in passing situations.
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