10 best running back handcuffs in 2024

As one of the most physically demanding positions in football, running backs are often the most injury-prone players of any team, simply due to the nature of their job. No running back ever goes their entire career without experiencing a bevy of injuries, which can be frustrating to deal with in fantasy.

On average, two to three starting running backs receive serious injuries per year. The problem gets even worse considering each individual running back averages 1-3 missed games per season. It comes as no surprise that the position has the shortest average career length in football, with most seeing a significant decline by age 29.

With injuries being the most annoying component of fantasy football, it is always key for managers to be prepared for such situations and not be the guy to use it as an excuse. Especially in deep leagues, having multiple RB1-worthy players is a rare luxury that only a few can obtain, making it more important to either roster or keep an eye on the best handcuffs to resort to in case of an emergency.

A handcuff in fantasy is any player whose value is directly tied to the status of another player. These players are listed as either the second or third-string on their team who have little standalone value but would see their worth significantly increase in the event the starter goes down with an injury. Thus, their value is "handcuffed" to the starter.

For the purpose of this list, we are not including backups who are expected to be in a timeshare to begin the season — like Tyjae Spears and JK Dobbins — or those who are already being drafted in later rounds in most leagues. This only consists of players who are strict backups to begin the year and who appear to have the most value should their starter go down with an injury, get benched, or be moved at any point in the year.