These days, you can get insurance for just about anything. To my knowledge, fantasy football teams are not one of those things (although it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a thing). While you may not be able to get a quote on your roster, you can get a full team consultation courtesy of FlurrySports! You can also do the fantasy football equivalent of an insurance policy by pursuing the best fantasy football RB handcuffs on the waiver wire and in trade deadline deals!
Knock on wood, star running backs have largely avoided season-ending injuries in 2024. However, there is always the unfortunate chance that a big name goes down at one of the most punishing positions, especially as the season goes on and the snaps and carries continue to add up. Your fantasy team might be a bonafide championship contender right now thanks to having a pair of star-studded RBs on your roster. But what would your outlook be if one of those players was lost to injury?
Friendly reminder that in the Fantasy Football Playoffs, losing is not an option. Thus, looking to utilize bench spots on the top fantasy football RB handcuffs is a savvy strategy. Of course, if you can get a full breakdown of every team and every position’s fantasy football playoff strength of schedule here!
While we are still a few weeks away from the start of the playoffs, aiming to roster RB handcuffs now could save you a lot of headaches and/or FAAB dollars down the road. Below are several of the best RB handcuff insurance policies to consider rostering ahead of Week 12 action.
Note: Ownership percentages are taken from ESPN leagues and reflect statuses as of Tuesday afternoon ahead of Week 12 waiver processing.
Top Fantasy Football RB Handcuffs
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (44.3%)
After what was essentially a goose egg on the stat sheet from a fantasy standpoint in Week 11, Tyler Allgeier’s ownership in ESPN leagues has trickled down below the 50% threshold. As a result, he should be considered as a prime target amongst this week’s fantasy football waiver wire pickups. For the sake of our discussion here, this only makes him more readily available to roster as a top fantasy football RB handcuffs option.
Allgeier is the top option in the Atlanta Falcons‘ backfield to Bijan Robinson. Anyone who has Robinson on their team this season knows just how potent of a weapon he is in fantasy. He has dominated the snaps and workload recently, but it’s worth pointing out that Allgeier has had some solid games with Robinson healthy this season. Thus, he doubles as a top-tier handcuff and a viable FLEX play for those who may find themselves struggling to fill out their starting lineup as bye weeks continue over the next few weeks.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears (16.9%)
Another RB handcuff who has the potential to double as a FLEX play heave if needed is Roschon Johnson. The second-year pro has been a goalline option for the Chicago Bears with regularity this season and has scored five touchdowns despite being the backup to D’Andre Swift. One of those came this past Sunday, a game in which Johnson also played a season-high 42% of the team’s offensive snaps and matched his season-high in carries (10). The Bears’ O-line stinks in general and is banged up on top of this, but Johnson is the clear next-man-up behind Swift, especially after Khalil Herbert was traded a couple of weeks back.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (25.4%)
Rookie Trey Benson was very impressive in the two games leading up to the Arizona Cardinals’ bye this past week. While he played less than 30% of the team’s offensive snaps in both contests, it was encouraging to see him get some extra run, albeit in lopsided contests. He even led the team in rushing in Week 10. Benson does have to contend with Emari Demercado for touches behind workhorse starter, James Conner. With that said, the rookie figures to take on the lead role should Conner (who has a history of injuries) go down for any length of time. His talent and upside make him a terrific fantasy football RB handcuffs option.
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- Fantasy Playoff Strength of Schedule Breakdown: playoff SoS for all 32 teams, as well by position. Also, fantasy points allowed by position for every team.
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Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (44.7%)
Even bad teams can be sources of promising fantasy football RB handcuffs. In the case of Tyjae Spears, the fact that the Tennessee Titans are awful furthers his case as a handcuff. There is quite literally no one who would challenge the former Tulane standout for touches should starter Tony Pollard succumb to injury (sorry to all the Julius Chestnut and Joshua Kelley truthers out there). Spears has already missed multiple games due to injury in his own right and sustained a concussion in Week 11. That said, the fact that he came back and played north of 40% of the snaps in the last two games shows a willingness to lessen the burden on Pollard even when he is healthy.
Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills (13.1%)
So long as he is healthy, James Cook will be the clear lead back in Western New York. If, however, he were to go down, rookie Ray Davis would become an extremely valuable insurance policy to have on your fantasy roster. What Davis lacks in height, he makes up for in muscle and powerful running. Ty Johnson is also a part of the Buffalo Bills‘ backfield and seeing minimal snaps weekly. However, when Cook missed time earlier in the season, it was Davis who was the featured RB. He notably made the most of his opportunities.
Braelon Allen, New York Jets (17.6%)
No, this is not a dynasty rookie hype train article. It just so happens that there are several rookie RBs patiently waiting in the wings on numerous depth charts. Thus, Braelon Allen also makes the cut of our preferred fantasy football RB handcuffs. Fantasy managers all across the country have been relying on Breece Hall’s production, even as the New York Jets continue to find ways to lose. Keep in mind that Hall is only a couple of years removed from a season-ending ACL injury. Should disaster strike again, the Jets will turn to Allen, who is a physical specimen in his own right.
Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings (20.7%)
Honestly, it’s almost hilarious that Cam Akers once again has himself in a position to be considered among the top fantasy football RB handcuffs in the NFL. Some managers may have rostered and even started him earlier in the year when he was with Houston. Since being traded back to the Minnesota Vikings, Akers has usurped Ty Chandler on the depth chart to be the top backup to Aaron Jones. What’s more, he has played over 30% of the snaps and has garnered double-digit carries in each of the last two games with Jones healthy and active! He may need a wheelchair one day, but for now, Akers belongs on your fantasy roster.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams (14.6%)
Who’s here for some more rookie love? Well, I sure hope any manager who is counting on Kyren Williams to win matchups weekly is. Next in line behind the Los Angeles Rams’ workhorse is Blake Corum. It just so happens that he played a season-high 19% of the offensive snaps in Week 11. Many have been clamoring for Corum to get more opportunities throughout the season if for nothing else, to lessen the burden on Williams. However, splitting the RB workload is just not Sean McVay’s style when it comes to the position. What this does mean is that should injury strike the Rams’ superstar, Corum’s fantasy value will truly skyrocket.
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (24.3%)
Gus Edwards certainly hasn’t lit the world on fire since returning from injury a couple of weeks back. He has taken some carries away from JK Dobbins, but his lack of usage at the goalline is quite surprising, especially considering that the Los Angeles Chargers have been giving Hassan Haskins some of those goalline opportunities. Despite all of this, Edwards cannot be ignored when it comes to fantasy football RB handcuffs. Dobbins’ injury history is well-documented. Through eleven weeks, he has already surpassed his career-high in carries for a single season. An injury would vault Edwards into a fantasy-relevant role for the Chargers’ run-heavy offense.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles (2.0%)
Compared to many of the other RBs on this list, Kenneth Gainwell is by far the least-heralded. However, one cannot ignore him altogether as a viable RB handcuff option. This is especially true of Saquon Barkley owners and for teams playing in deeper leagues. If Barkley were to go down, that would leave only Gainwell and Will Shipley as the active running backs on the current iteration of the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart. Of course, the rushing abilities of Jalen Hurts have to be factored in as well, but Gainwell is the in-house insurance policy at RB to the current RB2 in PPR scoring for the season.
