Fantasy football handcuffs are a vital part of the strategy, and Geoff Ulrich is here to do the work for you:

We are deep into the fantasy season with the fantasy playoffs just over the horizon.

At this point, every roster move you make can have drastic consequences from a results perspective so it’s important to know which players have the most value and upside from a stash perspective.

That’s why as the playoffs start, we’re focusing on handcuffs, specifically RBs who aren’t starters (yet) but may have some intrinsic or future value depending on things like their schedule, who they are playing behind (depth chart), and their team’s current W/L record.

Fantasy Football Handcuff Strategy

We’re into the fantasy playoffs now, so I am not going to give you a full team-by-team report (I think everyone knows that Blake Corum is the backup to Kyren Williams by now), but I will do a full ranking with my top handcuff options and beyond, giving you as much insight into the main handcuff options you need to watch out for as you traverse your playoff schedule.

I focused on the following four key categories when putting together the below tiers:

  1. Likelihood of a featured role: Essentially what are the chances of receiving a bump in workload? Does the team have an incentive to play the backup? Is the starter regressing or injured?
     
  2. Theoretical three-down ability: The upside of the handcuff. Even if the RB in question gets an opportunity is he going to be able to produce in that role?
     
  3. Playoff schedule and offensive upside: Will the RB be in a fertile fantasy environment down the stretch? Will the offense support him with I5 carries and does he have soft matchups we want to target?
     
  4. Standalone value: Could the handcuff be usable in some way in the playoffs on his own? Does he have PPR upside or otherwise?

The Best Fantasy Football Handcuffs - Tier 1 RB Options

These are mostly players who would just step into big roles right off the bat. Most are pretty heavily owned in all season-long leagues (and pretty obvious handcuffs) but there is one sneaky exception. 

  1. Blake Corum
  2. Ray Davis
  3. Jaylen Warren
  4. Kenneth Gainwell
  5. Tyler Allgeier

Kenneth Gainwell (Eagles)

Gainwell has played on 10% or more of the snaps in every single game for the Eagles from Week 3 onward. He’s been averaging around 5 carries per game this season, although he did take a small step back in usage in Week 13, as he didn’t see a single carry or target, despite playing on 13% of the snaps (via our Utilization Report).

The good news is that Gainwell didn't lose ground to rookie Will Shipley, who played on 2% of the snaps. To me, Gainwell is just a very underrated handcuff/backup as he’s a solid player who knows this offense and has receiving upside. At worst, if Saquon Barkley got hurt, he’d be in a timeshare with Shipley, but would likely take more of the LDD snaps and potentially more red zone snaps.

At best, he could be a three-down back with massive upside in the best-rushing offense in the league. It’s crazy that he is just 4% owned given how one injury to Barkley could make him a top 10 RB in the fantasy playoffs.

More Fantasy Football Handcuffs - Tier 2 RB Options

This is where things get interesting. A lot of the players in Tier 2 haven’t necessarily seen a ton of playing time—or aren't that well known to the casual player—but they either have a ton of upside from a talent perspective (potentially) or are behind weak starters/on teams who have nothing to lose by giving them playing time down the stretch.

This list is also important for any sickos who have their fantasy football championship in Week 18.

  1. Zach Charbonnet
  2. Jonathon Brooks
  3. Rachaad White
  4. Justice Hill
  5. Tyjae Spears
  6. Trey Benson
  7. Braelon Allen 
  8. Israel Abanikanda

Jonathon Brooks

I don’t think the Panthers are going to bench Chuba Hubbard anytime soon, given they just signed him to a four-year, $33.2 million extension. However, at some point, you think they will want to get a look at their second-round draft pick, Jonathon Brooks, and see where he fits into their plans.

We may have seen the beginnings of that plan in Week 13. Brooks almost tripled his snaps in Week 13 (5 > 14) and rush attempts (2 > 6) from his previous start against the Buccaneers. He also was a bigger-than-expected part of the passing game, going for 23 yards on 3 receptions (3 targets), and showed good upside in that department.

Pete Overzet mentioned Brooks as a potential league winner in our fantasy playoff preview and I tend to agree. Hubbard won’t get benched (although there is a small chance that happens I guess) but a timeshare is likely and after how he handled himself as a receiver last week, his PPR upside may surpass that of Hubbard in the next week or two.

He also has a fantastic playoff schedule, ending with the Cowboys (32nd EPA per rush), Cardinals (23rd EPA per rush), and Buccaneers (10th EPA per rush) in the fantasy playoffs.

Trey Benson 

Benson is a wildcard but a player I’m convinced would be a top 10 option at his position were he to step into a starting role. He’s had limited opportunity this season but when he has, he’s flashed the kind of upside that makes the film geeks giggle like schoolgirls.

Conner may be the heart and soul of the Cardinals but he has taken a lot of carries this season and does have an injury history. There is also the potential for the Cardinals to fall out of the race by Week 17 and give Benson a surprise start in a pivotal week for fantasy. 

His low ownership makes him a player worth gambling on going into the playoffs if you have roster space. 

Braelon Allen 

Allen has all the talent in the world and has a starter in Breece Hall who has picked up an injury issue (knee)—which could give the Jets a reason to shut him down as they play through another pointless season. 

The only reason I’ve downgraded Allen is because of the frustrating lack of commitment the new Jets coaching staff has shown toward getting him more involved. He’s typically been capped around 25% of the snaps all year and last week lost ground to fellow rookie Isaiah Davis who showed some upside as a receiver. 

Allen has plenty of upside but given the Jets issues on offense—and the emergence of Davis—his value as a handcuff down the stretch has taken a hit.

Israel Abanikanda

I think Isaac Guerendo is in a great spot, so I’m not trying to rain on your parade if you spent all your remaining FAAB on him (it was likely a smart move). However, I am pointing out that you need to be mindful of the fact that the 49ers RB position has been a roller coaster all season and one more twist and turn could be in store.

San Francisco picked up former Jets RB Israel Abanikanda on waivers yesterday to help fill out their depth chart and he’s not without talent. He ran a 4.41 40-yard out of college and is a good outside zone runner, which could fit well with the 49ers scheme.

He’s someone I would look to grab if you have Guerendo or are looking for an upside stash in a deeper league for the final few weeks. If the 49ers get eliminated from the playoffs they may even choose to bump his workload for a week just to see if he’s worth keeping for 2025.

Deeper Fantasy Football Handcuff RB Options

  1. Emanuel Wilson
  2. Khalil Herbert
  3. Cam Akers
  4. Antonio Gibson
  5. Kimani Vidal
  6. Devin Singletary
  7. Jamaal Williams
  8. Chris Rodriguez
  9. Tyler Goodson
  10. Dare Ogunbowale
  11. Audric Estime
  12. Roschon Johnson

Khalil Herbert 

Hard to know what kind of upside he has left he has as we have seen so little of him in 2024. However, the Bengals don't have much on the depth chart after Chase Brown so he’d likely get the start and potentially operate as a three-down back in a top-10 offense if Brown went down. He’s an underrated asset but has no value without a Brown injury.

Kimani Vidal 

The Chargers run game has been horrendous of late so there is the potential they try to ignite things by getting Vidal more involved. He is their best receiving back so there is some potential there for PPR leagues as well.

Chris Rodriguez 

Could be a very sneaky handcuff given the injury issues Washington has in the backfield. Rodriguez is a big back and a very underrated early-down rusher, so he would take the Brian Robinson role and potentially have some great upside in standard leagues.

Either way, if Robinson goes down or sits out for a week, Rodriguez would be my bet to benefit the most and soak up the most fantasy upside.

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