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.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet
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.
2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
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.
2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
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.
2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
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.
2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall
Fantasy RB Handcuff Depth Chart 2022
| Team | Starter | Handcuff | Two-Deep |
| Arizona Cardinals | James Conner | Eno Benjamin | Darrell Williams |
| Atlanta Falcons | Cordarrelle Patterson | Damien Williams | Tyler Allgeier |
| Baltimore Ravens1 | JK Dobbins | Mike Davis | Kenyan Drake |
| Buffalo Bills | Devin Singletary | James Cook | Zack Moss |
| Carolina Panthers | Christian McCaffrey | D’Onta Foreman | Chuba Hubbard |
| 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 Cowboys | Ezekiel Elliott | Tony Pollard | Rico Dowdle |
| Denver Broncos | Javonte Williams | Melvin Gordon | Mike Boone |
| Detroit Lions | D’Andre Swift | Jamaal Williams | Craig Reynolds |
| Green Bay Packers | Aaron Jones | AJ Dillon | Committee |
| Houston Texans | Dameon Pierce | Rex Burkhead | Dare Ogunbowale |
| Indianapolis Colts | Jonathan Taylor | Nyheim Hines | Deon Jackson |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Travis Etienne | James Robinson | Snoop Conner |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | J. McKinnon/I. Pacheco | Ronald Jones |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Josh Jacobs | Z. White/B. Bolden | Ameer Abdullah |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Austin Ekeler | Joshua Kelley | I. Spiller/S. Michel |
| Los Angeles Rams | Cam Akers | Darrell Henderson Jr. | Kyren Williams |
| Miami Dolphins | Chase Edmonds | Raheem Mostert | M. Gaskin/S. Ahmed |
| Minnesota Vikings | Dalvin Cook | Alexander Mattison | Kene Nwangwu |
| New England Patriots | Damien Harris | Rhamondre Stevenson | Pierre Strong Jr. |
| New Orleans Saints | Alvin Kamara | Mark Ingram II | M. Brown/T. Jones Jr. |
| New York Giants | Saquon Barkley | Matt Breida | Antonio Williams |
| New York Jets | M. Carter/B. Hall | Ty Johnson | Zonovan Knight |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Miles Sanders | Kenneth Gainwell | B. Scott/T. Sermon |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Najee Harris | Benny Snell Jr. | Jaylen Warren |
| San Francisco 49ers | Elijah Mitchell | Jeff Wilson Jr. | Tyrion Davis-Price |
| Seattle Seahawks | Rashaad Penny | Kenneth Walker III | T. Homer/D. Dallas |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Leonard Fournette | Rachaad White | G. Bernard/K. Vaughn |
| Tennessee Titans | Derrick Henry | Dontrell Hillard | Hassan Haskins |
| Washington Commanders2 | Antonio Gibson | J.D. McKissic | Jonathan Williams |
1 = Ravens’ handcuff Gus Edwards (knee) is out until at least Week 5. He should resume primary backup duties when healthy.
2 = Commanders’ co-starter Brian Robinson Jr. (gunshot wounds) is out indefinitely. He’ll likely be eased back into action as a backup before getting a chance to overtake Antonio Gibson for the starting job.
