Welcome to Running Back Handcuff Guide (2024). Here we take a look at what we anticipate will be the starter and direct backup in each NFL backfield. We will also take a look at the ADP of each to get an idea of which starters and backups are the best values.
We will also be using it as a way to determine how much draft capital you would need to invest to land both members of a backfield. The number under the round column is their exact ADP. 12.3 indicates the third pick of Round 12, while 12.9 indicates the ninth pick of Round 12.
Running Back Handcuff Guide
| Team | Starter | Round | Handcuff | Round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | James Conner | 4.9 | Trey Benson | 9.0 | |||
| ATL | Bijan Robinson | 0.5 | Tyler Allgeier | 12.0 | |||
| BAL | Derrick Henry | 1.7 | Justice Hill | 19.2 | |||
| BUF | James Cook | 3.1 | Ray Davis | 14.3 | |||
| CAR | Chuba Hubbard | 10.8 | Jonathon Brooks | 7.3 | |||
| CHI | D'Andre Swift | 5.0 | Roschon Johnson | 16.3 | |||
| CIN | Zack Moss | 6.8 | Chase Brown | 9.2 | |||
| CLE | Nick Chubb | 7.6 | Jerome Ford | 9.3 | |||
| DAL | Ezekiel Elliott | 9.1 | Rico Dowdle | 10.9 | |||
| DEN | Javonte Williams | 7.1 | Jaleel McLaughlin | 12.7 | |||
| DET | Jahmyr Gibbs | 1.1 | David Montgomery | 5.3 | |||
| GB | Josh Jacobs | 2.1 | AJ Dillon | 19.1 | |||
| HOU | Joe Mixon | 3.8 | Dameon Pierce | 16.1 | |||
| IND | Jonathan Taylor | 0.8 | Trey Sermon | 22.0 | |||
| JAC | Travis Etienne | 1.3 | Tank Bigsby | 18.7 | |||
| KC | Isiah Pacheco | 2.0 | C Edwards-Helaire | 16.8 | |||
| LAC | Gus Edwards | 9.6 | JK Dobbins | 10.2 | |||
| LAR | Kyren Williams | 1.3 | Blake Corum | 9.4 | |||
| LV | Zamir White | 5.6 | Alexander Mattison | 18.2 | |||
| MIA | Raheem Mostert | 6.4 | Devon Achane | 1.8 | |||
| MIN | Aaron Jones | 4.6 | Ty Chandler | 11.3 | |||
| NE | Rhamondre Stevenson | 4.8 | Antonio Gibson | 12.2 | |||
| NO | Alvin Kamara | 3.6 | Kendre Miller | 13.3 | |||
| NYG | Devin Singletary | 6.9 | Tyrone Tracy | 13.6 | |||
| NYJ | Breece Hall | 0.4 | Braelon Allen | 14.3 | |||
| PHI | Saquon Barkley | 0.9 | Kenneth Gainwell | 18.8 | |||
| PIT | Najee Harris | 5.8 | Jaylen Warren | 6.8 | |||
| SEA | Ken Walker | 3.8 | Zach Charbonnet | 10.4 | |||
| SF | Christian McCaffrey | 0.1 | Elijah Mitchell | 14.5 | |||
| TB | Rachaad White | 2.7 | Bucky Irving | 13.9 | |||
| TEN | Tony Pollard | 6.6 | Tyjae Spears | 8.4 | |||
| WSH | Austin Ekeler | 7.5 | Brian Robinson | 7.8 |
Elite Injury Handcuffs
Trey Benson, Cardinals- Benson is going off the board with the first pick of the 9th round, and with an aging and injury-prone James Conner in front of him on the depth chart, he could be a potential league winner. Even if Conner manages to stay healthy, the Cardinals may want to give Benson a large role to try to prevent him from breaking down, so Benson could have flex value even if Conner stays healthy.
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers- Hubbard feels like a cheating pick because the presumed starter is already injured. Rookie Jonathon Brooks was the first running back off the board at the 2024 NFL Draft, but with him expected to start the season on the IR, Hubbard could be an early-season value at the cost of only a late 10th-round pick. He may lack the upside that Brooks has, but he should be flexworthy at a minimum while Brooks is sidelined.
Standalone Injury Handcuffs
David Montgomery, Lions- In 2023, the Lions had two of the most productive running backs in fantasy football Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Montgomery is like Hubbard in the sense that he feels like a cheat with Gibbs already nursing an injury, the difference being that Montgomery has top 5 potential if Gibbs misses significant time. Even if Gibbs is healthy all season, Montgomery has shown he can easily outperform his 5th-round ADP. Montgomery feels like a solid RB2 with a free shot at a high-end RB1.
Jerome Ford, Browns- In 2023, veteran Nick Chubb was lost to a season-ending knee injury. Many fantasy managers have penciled in Chubb as the presumed Cleveland starter but I’m not convinced. I expect Chubb to need more time before returning and even if he can play I expect him to be far less effective. The Browns would be wise to make this a committee at minimum. There are many scenarios in which Jerome Ford and his 9th-round ADP turn into a league winner.
Handcuffs Who Could Take Over
Tyjae Spears, Titans- Spears is listed as the backup in Tennessee behind Tony Pollard but is easily the more explosive and talented back on the team. Pollard is going in the 6th-round and Spears is going in the 8th-round and I far prefer a shot on Spears at a two-round discount. This one isn’t even close to me, give me the younger and more explosive backup and I will wait patiently until he takes over the job.
Chase Brown, Bengals- Brown will continue the youth trend of running backs who I expect to take over. Brown looked shifty and speedy when backing up Joe Mixon last season, and with Mixon gone, he has the talent to be a three-down back. Currently, Zack Moss is listed as the starter but that is a situation that could easily change. Even if Brown doesn’t win the starting job outright, this is a situation that is probably best served as a timeshare.
Riskier Handcuffs Who Could Take Over
Blake Corum, Rams- Corum received higher draft capital this offseason than most expected and when backing up a one-year running back with no draft capital himself, this situation could change at any moment. Williams was a stud last year and won many fantasy leagues, but as I said, his lack of draft capital and his first real sniff of competition could lead to his downfall. This one is the least likely of the four youngsters to pan out, but it’s a situation that has repeated itself multiple times in the NFL.
Tyrone Tracy Jr, Giants- The rookie Tracy made news in training camp as it appeared that he moved up to the RB2 spot on the Giant’s depth chart without much effort. He was primed to take over the job from veteran Devin Singletary but went down with an ankle injury. This injury doesn’t appear to be serious, so Tracy could be back soon and steal the job away from Singletary in an instant.
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