Fantasy football handcuffs for all 32 NFL running back starters

In fantasy football, owners hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Usually that means drafting a cast of running backs from various teams. However, sometimes the best fantasy No. 2 rusher is on the same team as the starter. Picking up a handcuff in your fantasy draft often proves to be a smart strategy.

Here’s a look at all 32 NFL running back starters and their primary handcuffs for 2018.

Projected Starter: David Johnson
Handcuff: Chase Edmonds

Johnson returns to his starting job after missing almost all of 2017 with a wrist injury. The Cardinals are hoping he can stay healthy and return to glory this season. In the event Johnson does go down, they have rookie Chase Edmonds waiting in the wings. Edmonds has been impressive this offseason and he is expected to land the No. 2 role ahead of T.J. Logan. The fourth-rounder out of Fordham has a high fantasy upside because he can handle the load as an every-down back in Johnson’s absence.

Projected Starter: Devonta Freeman
Handcuff: Tevin Coleman

The Falcons have a great set of fantasy rushers in their backfield. Freeman is the workhorse. He is not prone to injury, but he is also not invincible. Coleman is constantly lobbying for more playing time and he can pick up the load if Freeman goes down. This is easily one of the hottest handcuff pairings in the league, and you’ll get quality performances from both running backs.

Projected Starter: Alex Collins
Handcuff: Kenneth Dixon

Collins worked his way into a starting role last season after the Ravens lost Dixon to injury. Dixon returns after a lost season, battling Javorius Allen for the No. 2 role. The Ravens were very high on Dixon in 2016. Should Collins miss action for any reason, Dixon could make a push for the starting job.

Projected Starter: LeSean McCoy
Handcuff: Chris Ivory

McCoy owns the Bills’ backfield. In the event of his absence, the Bills will hand over the rushing duties to Ivory. Ivory is not a great backup option, but there are no other in Buffalo challenging Shady for touches.

Projected Starter: Christian McCaffrey
Handcuff: C.J. Anderson

McCaffrey and Anderson are competing for the No. 1 role. McCaffrey seems to have the edge for the starting job for now after a strong finish to his rookie campaign. Anderson is more of the traditional back, however. Both guys are expected to get a lot of touches this season, and either can be a full-time back in the event the other goes down.

Projected Starter: Jordan Howard
Handcuff: Tarik Cohen

This pairing will be a good one to watch now that Matt Nagy is the head coach in Chicago. Howard is the clear No. 1, while Cohen is a wild card who can used in a variety of ways. He should have more touches this season, and can fill-in for Howard on occasion. However, be wary of Cohen as a starter for a long period of time.

Projected Starter: Joe Mixon
Handcuff: Giovani Bernard

Mixon and Bernard shared the Bengals’ backfield last season. Mixon eventually emerged as the starter while Bernard handled the third down change-of-pace duties. Cincinnati is expected to have the same system this season. If Mixon is unavailable, Bernard can pick up the slack, albeit with durability concerns.

Projected Starter: Carlos Hyde
Handcuff: Nick Chubb

The Browns brought in Hyde as a part of the offensive remodel this offseason. They also drafted former Georgia RB Nick Chubb to add firepower to the backfield. Hyde should be the starter, but Chubb is knocking at his door. If anything happens to Hyde, Chubb is poised to do well in his place. Duke Johnson is third on the depth chart for the time being.

Projected Starter: Ezekiel Elliott
Handcuff: Rod Smith

The Cowboys offense centers around Elliott in the running game. He left a gaping hole in the backfield while he served a six-game suspension last season. Rod Smith will pick up the slack if Elliott is out for any time this season. It is a drastic fantasy dip, but an option none-the-less.

Projected Starter: Devontae Booker
Handcuff: Royce Freeman

The starting role in Denver’s backfield is up for grabs. Booker has a slight advantage as the incumbent, while Freeman is bigger and had a monster college career at Oregon. The Broncos are likely going to utilize both guys in a rushing committee, and if one guy goes down, the other will share duties with third stringer De’Angelo Henderson.

Projected Starter: Kerryon Johnson
Handcuff: LeGarrette Blount

The Lions put a lot of effort toward fixing their backfield this offseason. Johnson, their second-round pick, is projected to get the starting nod ahead of Blount, Theo Riddick, and Ameer Abdullah. Blount will be their short yardage guy, Riddick is the primary pass catcher, and Abdullah is a low-level wild card.

Projected Starter: Jamaal Williams
Handcuff: Aaron Jones

Jones had a shot at being the No. 1 running back in Green Bay, but he is suspended the first two games of the season. Williams will get the starting nod in Week 1, and should hold onto the role as long as he can stay healthy. Jones will be waiting to resuming the starting position should Williams struggle.

Projected Starter: Lamar Miller
Handcuff: D’onta Foreman

Foreman would likely be the starter if he did not tear his Achilles last season. Miller has been a decent starting running back in Houston the last few seasons, but his job is in jeopardy. Even if Miller remains healthy, Foreman may challenge him for the No. 1 spot before the season ends.

Projected Starter: Marlon Mack
Handcuff: Jordan Wilkins

The Colts have had different running backs leading the way in practice, suggesting the team will offer more of a committee approach this season. Mack is the default starter since he was the best rusher still left on the team from last season. He has a long list of rushers vying for his job, including fifth-round pick Jordan Wilkins, who showed promise in minicamp and could climb the ladder quickly.

Projected Starter: Leonard Fournette
Handcuff: T.J. Yeldon

Fournette is an amazing back with ankle problems. Yeldon is a proven backup running back who did a good job picking up the slack for Fournette last season. It is a smart move for owners to get the pair this season.

Projected Starter: Kareem Hunt
Handcuff: Spencer Ware

The Chiefs will get a great rusher back in the backfield this season when Spencer Ware returns. He was their starter in 2016 before a concussion ended his season, but Hunt was a breakout rookie rusher last season. Hunt is going to be the starter in 2018, and while Ware will get some work, Hunt is the man in this backfield. That being said, if you have a spare roster spot, having Hunt’s backup in case of a freak injury is not the worst idea in the world.

Projected Starter: Melvin Gordon
Handcuff: Justin Jackson

Gordon continues to lead the Chargers backfield with Austin Ekeler acting as the change-of-pace back. While Ekeler holds the No. 2 spot, rookie Justin Jackson is in the best position to take over as the starter should something happen to Gordon. Jackson was a workhorse at Northwestern with 1,142 carries and 122 receptions.

Projected Starter: Todd Gurley
Handcuff: John Kelly

Fantasy owners are excited to see what Gurley is going to do after a monster 2017 season. Any handcuff is strictly for injury purposes. The Rams added some depth in drafting Kelly in the sixth round of the draft, to go along with veteran Malcolm Brown.

Projected Starter: Kenyan Drake
Handcuff: Frank Gore

Drake stepped up after Jay Ajayi departed for the Philadelphia Eagles, and had a strong finish to the 2017 season. He owns the starting role in Miami and should share some touches with pass-catching back Kalen Ballage. The Dolphins also brought in seasoned veteran Frank Gore for insurance. Gore can take over the starting load if Drake goes down, but at 35, he is past his prime as a starter.

Projected Starter: Dalvin Cook
Handcuff: Latavius Murray

Dalvin Cook got off to a huge start in his rookie season last year, only to suffer a torn ACL. When Cook went down in Week 4, Murray stepped up and took over as the feature back in Minnesota. While the Vikings hope that does not happen again, owners know Murray can step up and do well if needed. This is one of the best running back handcuffs in the league.

Projected Starter: Sony Michel
Handcuff: Rex Burkhead

When the Patriots did not re-sign Dion Lewis this offseason, they needed a similar talent to pick up the pieces. They drafted former Georgia rusher Sony Michel to do just that. Waiting in the wings if anything happens to Michel is veteran back Rex Burkhead. He will get a good chunk of touches with the rookie, as one of the stronger backups in the league. James White will serve as the primary pass-catching back in this offense, but Burkhead is the handcuff for rushing work.

Projected Starter: Alvin Kamara
Handcuff: Mark Ingram

Kamara and Ingram were one of the best rushing tandems in the NFL last season. Kamara gets the starting nod to start this season due in part to Ingram’s four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. When Ingram returns, Kamara will likely continue with his growing role, but the Saints will have to decide where Ingram fits in. Owners will be lucky if they can get both guys during their fantasy draft.

Projected Starter: Saquon Barkley
Handcuff: Jonathan Stewart

Barkley was the most highly touted rusher in the 2018 draft, and will be an every-down back in the Giants offense. The second overall pick could see up to 300 touches this season. That is a ton of production to lose if the rookie goes down. The Giants have former Carolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart to pick up the workload in that scenario. He has been a workhorse before, but his legs are nowhere near as fresh as Barkley’s.

Projected Starter: Isaiah Crowell
Handcuff: Bilal Powell

The Jets brought in Crowell to replace Matt Forte, and take over their lead back. He has been a starter in the past, but we are likely to see a rotation of sorts for the Jets. Powell and Elijah McGuire are better pass catchers, which means Crowell might be a two-down back. It’s not a pretty situation, and we suspect Crowell and Powell both have games leading the team in touches. McGuire is the wild card, but for now, Crowell and Powell are a toss-up pair. We’d avoid their backfield entirely.

Projected Starter: Marshawn Lynch
Handcuff: Doug Martin

Lynch was not the “Beast Mode” fantasy owners came to know and love in 2017. He did remain a top-20 rusher last season and will be the starter in 2018. Martin had one of the worst seasons of his career in Tampa Bay last season and hopes to rebound out west. Martin’s resume is solid as a whole, and should be a solid backup to Lynch.

Philadelphia Eagles

Projected Starter: Jay Ajayi
Handcuff: Corey Clement

The Eagles lost one of their three-headed monsters, LeGarette Blount, this offseason. However, they still have some of the best rushers in the league. Ajayi is going to shoulder most of the load while Clement and veteran Darren Sproles rotate in as change-of-pace backs.

Projected Starter: Le’Veon Bell
Handcuff: James Conner

Bell is the best running back in the NFL. It is hard to envision the Steelers’ offense without him, but things do happen. In those scenarios, Conner will have to fill the void. Owners need to prepare for a drastic dip in this case.

Projected Starter: Jerick McKinnon
Handcuff: Matt Breida

The 49ers paid a pretty penny to bring McKinnon over from the Minnesota Vikings. He is expected to be the every-down back in San Francisco next season, and will be supported by second-year running back Matt Brieda. Brieda started to warm up at the tail end of 2017, but all eyes are on McKinnon. Breida is worth watching, particularly if McKinnon gets hurt.

Projected Starter: Rashaad Penny
Handcuff: Chris Carson

This is an interesting scenario to watch. Carson, a seventh-round pick, was looking the starter of the future in 2017 before he broke his leg in Week 4. The Seahawks then drafted Penny this offseason in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, presumably to be the starter. However, he may take a back seat to Carson for the job when the season kicks off. That being said, Penny is the back to own long-term in this offense. Both will be heavily involved early in the season, which makes them an important pair to handcuff together.

Projected Starter: Ronald Jones II
Handcuff: Peyton Barber

As it stands, Barber is listed as the starter on the Bucs’ depth chart. No one believes he will actually outlast second-rounder Ronald Jones for the job. Since Jones is a rookie, it is good for owners to have a backup option. Barber is the best handcuff option in that scenario.

Projected Starter: Derrick Henry
Handcuff: Dion Lewis

Henry was a solid RB1 before the Titans brought over Lewis from the New England Patriots. Now, he could find himself competing for the starting role. Lewis performed well as a starter in New England, and is likely to get plenty of work complementing Henry. Regardless of who is starting, both backs will touch the ball a lot this season. Lewis is a strong handcuff to consider.

Washington

Projected Starter: Derrius Guice
Handcuff: Samaje Perine

Dope article from sbnation.com