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 Dontrell Hilliard will likely get a few extra carries, but his role as the Titans’ primary third-down/receiving back might not change much if Derrick Henry 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.
