Fantasy Football 2016: Top RB Handcuffs for 2016 Season
Over the past half-decade or so, running backs seemed to be losing their value in the modern NFL. While the recent first-round selections of running backs in the NFL draft suggest their value may be back on the rise, the running back position never lost its significance in the realm of fantasy.
Running backs are an essential part of any successful fantasy football team, due to scoring potential and a heavy—and quite often guaranteed—weekly workload. Most starting backs are going to touch the football 20-plus times in a game. Even elite receivers and tight ends can be limited to a handful of touches.
What happens, though, when your first- or second-round running back suffers an injury and can't play? If you happen to have his backup on your fantasy bench, the choice should be obvious.
This is why drafting handcuff players—guys who will likely take over in the event of an injury—is a sound strategy when you're banking heavily on running backs. Now we're going to examine some of the top running back handcuffs for the 2016 season.
Our choices will be based on the the starting running backs in the equations. Factors considered regarding the handcuffs include player potential, team fit, past production and player role. If a particular handcuff already sees time as a goal-line or receiving back, all the better.
Running backs expected to be in a full committee situation—like Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals—won't be included on the list.
What Is a Fantasy Handcuff?
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If you're already a fantasy veteran, you can go ahead and skip to the listed players. For the novices, however, we're going to provide a brief overview of what defines a good fantasy handcuff.
The basic idea behind handcuffing players is to provide yourself with injury insurance. Much like an NFL team wants to provide itself with a backup plan, you should have an injury alternate. If you're planning on targeting a particular back early in your fantasy draft, familiarize yourself with his backup and try to add him late.
We can look to last season for an example of how drafting a fantasy handcuff can pay off.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was a trendy fantasy pick in 2015 because he was coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. However, he suffered a torn ACL five games into the year, leaving his fantasy owners with a big hole on their rosters. However, players who had the foresight to draft backup Charcandrick West (848 combined rushing and receiving yards, five total touchdowns in 2015) still got adequate production from the position.
Alternatively, you can benefit from drafting the handcuff to an opponent's top running back. Even if you don't plan on starting another player's handcuff, you might be able to ransom him off in a lopsided trade should the starter go down with an injury.
To maximize the value of your handcuffs, pay special attention to players who consistently steal goal-line carries or already see time as third-down backs. These players might be able to serve as bye-week spot-starters, especially if you're playing in a points-per-reception (PPR) league.
Alfred Blue, Houston Texans
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Running back Lamar Miller proved to be an explosive and versatile weapon with the Miami Dolphins last season. He produced 1,269 total yards, 47 receptions and 10 total touchdowns. Now with the Houston Texans, Miller has become a popular fantasy target.
Miller's ADP stands at sixth among running backs and 14th overall in PPR leagues. This means he will probably be a first- or second-round pick in most fantasy drafts.
If you're looking for some valuable injury insurance for Miller—or want to potentially mess with an opponent's head—target backup Alfred Blue late in your draft. His current ADP is 87th among running backs and 303rd overall.
Blue proved himself to be a decent runner in 2015, though he certainly wasn't an explosive home run threat. He rushed for just 3.8 yards per carry, caught 15 passes and scored three total touchdowns. However, he did produce three 100-yard games, showing he can handle the job of spot-starter.
Blue isn't likely to see a ton of backfield work as long as Miller remains healthy. As far as pure handcuffs go, however, there's a lot to like about Blue's value as an injury replacement.
Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
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Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson announced his presence to the fantasy world as a rookie late last season after starter Chris Johnson suffered a broken leg in Week 12. The younger Johnson started the final five games of the regular season and racked up 658 total yards and five touchdowns in that span.
As a result, David Johnson has become a trendy fantasy option heading into this season. His ADP sits at No. 3.8 among running backs and eighth overall.
The Cardinals re-signed Chris Johnson in the offseason, and the veteran should be the team's top backup in 2016. His ADP rests at No. 57 among running backs and 169th overall. Considering the elder Johnson racked up more than 800 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry last season, this puts him in position to be a valuable handcuff.
Chris Johnson potentially brings some added value because the Cardinals haven't exactly guaranteed anyone a dominant role.
“Being with [head coach Bruce Arians] since 2007, the hot hand always wins,” Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said, per Jacob Withee of ArizonaSports.com. “So, if David is killing, Chris falls back a little bit. If Chris is killing it, vice versa."
There's a chance that the man formerly known as CJ2K can recapture the position of lead back at some point in 2016. Even if he doesn't, the Cardinals might find themselves favoring a platoon situation with both Johnsons healthy. This makes Chris Johnson a handcuff that might be worth gambling on a round or two earlier than his ADP might suggest.
Bilal Powell, New York Jets
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Former Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte has been a solid and consistent fantasy option for the better part of his eight-year career. He has been especially valuable in PPR leagues—he has 220 receptions in the past three years—and should remain a popular fantasy option with the New York Jets.
Forte's ADP sits at No. 12.3 among running backs and 31st overall for PPR formats. That means he's likely a high third-round selection in most 10-team leagues.
If you're going to draft Forte early, it makes perfect sense to grab backup Bilal Powell as well. In fact, it makes sense to grab Powell anyway, especially if you are playing in a PPR league. Powell only logged 70 carries for 313 yards last year, but he did add 47 receptions for 388 more yards.
Of course, Powell may not see so much work as a receiving back because Forte is a much more capable pass-catcher than 2015 starter Chris Ivory. However, his new three-year, $11.3 million contract, per Spotrac, suggests the Jets still have a large role in mind for him.
Forte does not have an extensive injury history, but he did miss three games in 2015 and recently passed the magical 30-year-old mark. Still, Powell represents one of the better handcuff options because of his own potential as a spot-starter or flex option.
Powell's ADP sits at No. 45 among running backs and 119th overall. This makes him a potential draft steal, especially if Forte does end up going down with an injury.
DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has rightfully established himself as one of the best fantasy options in the league. Two seasons ago, when fully healthy, he amassed 1,361 yards rushing, 83 receptions for 854 more yards and 11 total touchdowns. Before tearing his MCL last year, he produced 692 total yards and three scores—in just six games.
However, that MCL injury provided another example of the importance of having a good handcuff. After Bell was lost for the season, DeAngelo Williams took over starting duties. He finished the year with an impressive fantasy season of his own.
Williams made 10 starts and racked up 907 rushing yards, 40 receptions for 367 yards and 11 total touchdowns. This recent production makes Williams perhaps the most-coveted handcuff in the league this season—especially if the Steelers increase his role during Bell's looming return.
“It will be a lot easier to give Le’Veon some rest when he needs it, although he never wants to come off,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’ve seen D-Will for a full year in our offense and doing the things the way we do them, so I think it’s an exciting thing to look forward to.”
Williams should carry some spot-start value even if Bell remains healthy all season. His current ADP of 108th overall in standard formats seems low, to be perfectly honest. Keep Williams on your radar even if you don't draft Bell.
If you do draft Bell—whose ADP sits at second overall in standard leagues—handcuffing Williams is a must.
Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs
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We've already mentioned that running back Charcandrick West proved to be a valuable handcuff last season. Depending on Jamaal Charles' health at the start of the season, West may actually wind up with a rather significant role—especially if the Chiefs decide to ease Charles back into the starting job.
"Let’s not rush him," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of Charles during minicamp, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. "We know what he’s all about. Let’s get him back to where he feels good and whatever timetable that is or how much he practices there, we’ll see day by day."
Still, Charles is the popular player among Chiefs backs right now. His current ADP of No. 8 among running backs in PPR makes this clear. Regardless of who's looking like the primary back at the start of the season, though, we're actually going with No. 3 back Spencer Ware as our handcuff here.
Ware, at 5'10" and 228 pounds, is built like a prototypical starting back. He also seems to be more explosive than West, as evidenced by his 5.6 yards-per-carry average. He saw fewer than half of West's carries last season (160 to 72) but still produced 403 yards on the ground to West's 634.
Ware also proved to be a valuable goal-line option. He scored six times last season, meaning he produced a touchdown on more than 8 percent of his carries. He should have added value as a potential touchdown vulture this coming season.
The downside with Ware is that he wasn't widely utilized in the passing game last season. He caught just six passes to West's 20. If it looks like Charles won't be at full health when the season opens, feel free to target West as an early-season starter. His current ADP for PPR formats is a mere 151st overall.
If you're looking for a true handcuff, however, we're going with Ware. He appears better suited for a starting role if Charles goes down again, and his ADP of 210th overall in standard leagues makes him a major bargain.
Tre Mason, Los Angeles Rams
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Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley had quite the coming-out party as a rookie last season. The Georgia product didn't start a game until Week 4, yet he finished the 2015 seasons with 1,106 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
This season could be even bigger for Gurley, especially with L.A. expected to start a rookie at quarterback. Several NFL Media analysts have picked him to earn the league rushing title in 2016.
Unsurprisingly, Gurley is looking like a trendy top-five pick in fantasy drafts this year. His ADP in PPR formats is No. 2 among running backs and fifth overall. It's worth noting, though, that Rams backup Tre Mason has plenty of potential of his own.
Mason was underwhelming in 2015, to be sure. He made three starts and averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry on the season. As a rookie in 2014, however, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry, totaled more than 900 yards from scrimmage and scored five times in nine starts.
The bottom line here is that Mason has shown he can perform as a starting running back. If you're going to take Gurley high in your fantasy draft, it's worth considering Mason in the latter rounds of the draft process.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the Rams are likely to give Mason many opportunities when Gurley is healthy. Mason averaged just 4.1 carries per game in contests he didn't start last season. This means, he is a handcuff only, but a valuable one, given Gurley's likely draft status.
Mason's current ADP is just 282nd overall.
Alfred Morris, Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott is expected to be the next big thing at the running back position. He racked up 1,821 rushing yards, 206 receiving yards and 23 total touchdowns at Ohio State last season. The Cowboys selected him fourth overall in this year's draft, and naturally, he is a popular fantasy target.
Elliott's current ADP is No 4.8 among running backs for PPR formats. This makes him a probable first-round pick and one of the most coveted fantasy performers for the 2016 season.
The problem is that Elliott has never played a down of pro football. There are plenty of reasons to believe he can make a successful transition to the NFL, but there are no sure things in football. In addition to protecting against injury, anyone drafting Elliott should prepare for possible early struggles and the dreaded "rookie wall."
The issue here is that the Cowboys have two capable backups behind Elliott—2015 starter Darren McFadden and former Washington Redskins standout Alfred Morris. Both backs have 1,000-yard seasons on their resumes. Of the two, we're targeting Morris for a couple of different reasons.
For one, Morris is the healthy back right now. McFadden underwent offseason elbow surgery and isn't in condition to practice.
"I got a few weeks left in this brace, but other than that, my body feels good," McFadden recently told Pete Perkins of the Democrat-Gazette. "I feel great, and I'm looking forward to the season. I'm ready to go."
Once McFadden is ready to go, however, there is his extensive injury history to consider. McFadden has missed 29 games in his eight pro seasons. Morris is just 27 years old and has never missed a game.
It's worth noting that the Cowboys will probably employ a running back committee in the event of an injury to Elliott. Given the uncertainty surrounding the rookie, however, we'd advise picking up Morris as a handcuff. His current ADP stands at just 174th overall in PPR formats.
Average draft positions (ADP) according to FantasyPros.
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