Why running back handcuffs are not a thing of the past

Running Back Handcuffs is deemed an outdated strategy by many fantasy experts. We take a look to see if there is any utility in implementing a handcuff strategy to a starting running back.

10 years ago Running Back Handcuffs, drafting your stud running back with his backup, was an excellent idea. That theory evolved to handcuffing running backs that shared carries in hopes of finding ideal match-ups featuring one back or the other.

Those days are long gone. Bench space is now stacked with high risk high reward skill players and nobody has space to stash a backup running back.

Or are they gone?

There are two type of producers when it comes to fantasy players. Skill producers, i.e. players that produce at a high level because they are extremely talented. Then you have schematic producers, or players that produce because the system enables them.

Examples of schematic producers include James Conner, Matt Cassel, any Chiefs or Patriots running back, and my personal favorite, Kenny Stills… I mean Brandin Cooks… I mean Michael Thomas… I mean Ted Ginn… You get my drift. This doesn’t denote that they aren’t skilled. It merely draws light to how their scheme buffs their stats.

The issue of grabbing systematic producers is that teams may USE ALL OF THEM. If you have ever drafted a Patriot running back, you know what I mean. It’s a mini-game in itself to guess how New England will deploy their RB’s.

“So should I draft them or do I pass on them, Trav!?” you may be screaming.

Here is the secret, you want to grab ONE handcuff to a systematic producer who is backing up a player that takes 75% of the team’s production.

If you drafted a player that fits the mold of a skill producer, DO NOT get his handcuff. If that player gets hurt, there is zero percent certainty his replacement matches his production. Zeke, Berkley, and Fournette fit the skill types.

Let’s say we apply my method to the 2018 season. We are looking for offensive schemes that score a lot of points, control 75% of team’s carries, and seem to get production from almost any player:

Chiefs: Kareem Hunt
Steelers: Le’Veon Bell
Rams: Todd Gurley
Saints: Alvin Kamara
Chargers: Melvin Gordon

Every one of these guys were first round draft picks because they were part of a top 8 scoring offense and controlled a bulk of the carries.

Let’s suppose that in the first round of the 2018 draft you drafted one of these stallions, as you should have if you had the chance.

Then let’s suppose you handcuffed his backup, just in case you lost him to injury.

You would have taken one of the following:

Chiefs: C. West or Williams
Steelers: James Conner
Rams: Malcom Brown
Saints: Mark Ingram
Chargers: Justin Jackson or Austin Ekeler

Out of the group, you would have hit with Conner, Ingram, Williams, and Ekeler. The Rams signed C.J. Anderson mid-season and the owner of Gurley would have needed to be aggressive to get him. The Chiefs and Chargers could have been a 50/50 call on who you decided was the better backup.

That is real time, plug and play production for your team’s playoff runs. It could pay massive dividends to grab one of these guys’ late rounds if you got the premier back in the first or second round.

Generally these players will be a first or second round draft picks. So if you drafted a RB early, and he fits the description of a schematic producer and has a viable replacement that could pick up his load if he goes down, snatch him and stash him.

Running Back Handcuffs are resurrected!