Running Back Handcuffs and Injury Management

Good morning, my friend,

A chapter in the Draft Guide and Playbook is all about RB handcuffs and how that plays into injury histories. Here’s a snippet of the chapter and half of the RBs I’m targeting for you to check out. For a complete list, pre-order the Guide and Playbook out later this week. Use code SHARP25 for 25% off until this Wednesday. If you’re not in on that, the podcast is back and still very much FREE. Here’s the annual injury rundown with Matthew Betz of the Fantasy Fooballers.

TL:DR:

1. Rarely should a fantasy manager handcuff their own starting RB

2. Teams should use the IR slot for players who are eligible for it and immediately stash another player for upside (in this exercise, a handcuff RB)

3. The handcuff should ideally have a clear path to touches like Alexander Mattison over the last few seasons (before Dalvin Cook left)

4. If splitting hairs between 2 handcuffs, take the player with a teammate with the riskiest injury profile

Here are a few examples from 2022 that hit. They don’t all hit but stashing several guys in your portfolio should pay off in the aggregate. Especially in bestball. Some examples of backfields who don’t meet these general guidelines include the Cowboys, the Bengals, and the Ravens. If the starter from each of these respective teams goes down, there’s no telling who will carry the load. But what about a guy like Tyjae Spears? Sure, he’s got injury concerns of his own that might come home to roost sooner rather than later but what if Derrick Henry has a foot recurrence? Or another hamstring strain that he can’t play through at 30 years old? Spears as a bench stash is more likely to provide value versus somebody like Tyler Allgeier who would have to wait for the usually healthy Bijan Robinson to require time off and then beat out Cordarrelle Patterson. What about Tank Bigsby? He sits behind Travis Etienne who had Lisfranc surgery in 2021 and then had a recurrence in 2022. Here is half of my list of handcuff RBs in 2023 who I prioritize over the field based on the situation and their teammates’ physical volatility. Even if these RBs aren’t true handcuffs some players like Rashaad Penny and D’Andre Swift hold hidden equity against each other as both have an injury history. Presumably either would see a significant bump in volume should the other miss time:

• Jaylen Warren (one of my favorites)

• Tyjae Spears

• Tank Bigsby

• Rashaad Penny

• D’Andre Swift

Have a good day!

-Edwin