Must-Own RB Handcuffs
Every year, we see the same old story. A running back headliner sprains an ankle or opts for a contract holdout, and all of a sudden his backup is sprung into fantasy fame. Often times, fantasy leagues will scramble to the waiver wire in an all-out panic to pick up the replacement. But below, we have some names that should never find themselves on the waiver wire, as they should be rostered on draft night and patiently held onto like a blue chip stock. Whether you’re buying your own safety net or banking on future value in the event of someone else’s injury, investing in RB handcuffs can pay off big time.
Kareem Hunt
Nick Chubb is an elite talent at the running back position, so it’s scary to think that his backup may be even better. Don’t let the recency bias fool you. Kareem Hunt finished as RB4 in his rookie season, then was RB4 again in Weeks 1-11 in 2018 prior to his domestic assault controversy. After serving an 8 game suspension with the Cleveland Browns in 2019, he stepped into a complimentary role alongside Chubb and clocked RB19 numbers for the remainder of the season. The Toledo product has standalone value as a solid FLEX option in PPR formats, and would catapult into top twelve status in the event of a Nick Chubb injury. Hunt is still just 25 years old, and he’ll be playing for a new contract this season. I’m buyin’ wherever I can.
J.K. Dobbins
The Ravens invested heavily in the heir to Mark Ingram’s throne, having spent a mid-second round pick on the talented Buckeye tailback. Ingram still has plenty of gas in the tank, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 in a young Baltimore offense. Dobbins figures to take on more volume as the season rolls along, but the Raven’s backfield is still very much Ingram’s to lose. With that said, we may be talking about J.K. Dobbins as a potential RB1 as soon as 2021. Until then, he’s an elite handcuff who’d shoulder 70%+ of the workload if Ingram were ever forced to miss time.
Darrynton Evans
The Titans drafted Darrynton Evans as a safety net in the event of a Derrick Henry holdout. The rookie has reportedly looked excitingly explosive in training camp, but his snaps should be few and far between considering Derrick Henry’s status as a backfield ball hog. With that said, the Tennessee depth chart is especially shallow at tailback. If Henry misses time, Evans’ value would skyrocket into ‘must start’ territory. Draft and stash this rook.
Zack Moss
Moss offers the same upside in 2020 as the two other rookies on this list, but the first year man out of Utah offers more immediate value. The lead duty in Buffalo is Devin Singletary’s, but his smaller stature leads analysts to believe he’ll never be a true bellcow. Zack Moss has a bit more meat on his bones, and figures to inherit Frank Gore’s 179 abandoned touches. He may even be able to steal goal line work away from Singletary. The way I see it, Moss is a safe RB4 with an RB2 ceiling should Singletary hit the sideline.
Alexander Mattison
New year, same elite handcuff. Mattison dazzled in a limited role last season, often filling in for Dalvin Cook during garbage time. Cook is a superstar who’ll command the vast majority of the workload, but we’re all familiar with his extensive injury resume. With that in mind, Mattison deserves to be one of the first handcuffs off the board in fantasy drafts.
Tony Pollard
(See above). Ezekiel Elliot dominates the Dalles backfield with an 85%+ snap share, so Pollard has little to no standalone value - but he needs to be rostered in all formats. The Cowboys should boast one the most fantasy-friendly offenses in the NFL this season, so any tailback with projectionable volume in Dallas needs to be started. Similar to Mattison in Minnesota, Pollard shined in a limited role last season which should leave fantasy owners comfortably optimistic in the event of a Zeke absence.
