We all hang our hats on how we feel about handcuffing running backs. Nobody can avoid the topic prior to redrafts. Maybe we leave every draft with our first two RBs’ backups. Maybe we despise the idea and will never touch Elijah Mitchell, Gus Edwards, etc.
Handcuffing receivers, however, isn’t a popular strategy. But I’m here to make the case that we should consider it, mainly in deep (14-team+) leagues.
Let’s begin with an anecdote.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was injured in Week 3 of the 2022 season. He missed Week 4 and played 32% of snaps in Week 5. In Weeks 3 through 5, Josh Reynolds scored 51.9 points making him the WR10 in that timespan. That’s nearly half of his full-season point total (103.9).
Unless we’re in a six-team league, we can’t win our league solely based on a draft. Taking advantage of weekly situations is vital to fantasy success. Now, let’s get ahead of it. Here are some receiver handcuffs I’m looking at when I get to the end of my draft,
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Wide Receiver Handcuffs Worth Drafting (2023 Fantasy Football)
Rondale Moore (WR – ARI): ECR WR50
This one was tough because Greg Dortch played some impressive football in moments last season. However, I’m looking at Rondale Moore if I draft Marquise Brown. Moore is electric with the football. He was third of all receivers in receptions per broken tackle, with only Deebo Samuel and Curtis Samuel ahead of him. If you’re in a deep or dynasty league, I’d also invest in Michael Wilson. He was a third-round pick in April and showcased impressive poise and route-running acumen at Stanford.
Tyler Boyd (WR – CIN): ECR WR57
Tyler Boyd would be the WR2 on plenty of NFL teams. Unfortunately for him, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are exceptional receivers. They also have a tendency to get banged up. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t happily start Boyd if Higgins or Chase were to miss a week.
Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC): ECR WR48
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missed a combined 11 games last season. Quentin Johnston was the 21st pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Justin Herbert can throw a nice football. Rookie WRs almost always outperform their Average Draft Position (ADP). It’s a pretty simple equation to me.
Josh Reynolds (WR – DET): WR96
I’m all over Reynolds in deep leagues for reasons mentioned in the introduction. Should St. Brown miss any time early, all Reynolds needs to do is outperform Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond and company to be the Lions’ WR1.
DeVante Parker (WR – NE): WR82
DeVante Parker had moments last season where he looked like one of the best receivers on the planet. He also had moments where he looked as though he played with vision-blurring sunglasses on. JuJu Smith-Schuster is far from a paragon of durability. If he was to miss time, I’d be surprised if Parker didn’t lead the Patriots in targets.
Van Jefferson (WR – LAR): WR72
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Sean McVay’s WR2 is now a fantasy afterthought. I’m here to argue that Van Jefferson is an extremely low-risk pick in deep leagues. Based on his current ECR, he’s a 12th-round pick in a 16-team league. Matthew Stafford has not been subtle with his “stare down Cooper Kupp and throw it to him no matter what” strategy. This has led to some opportunities for Jefferson in the past. In 2021, Jefferson caught 50 of 89 targets for 802 yards and six touchdowns. The 2020 second-round pick’s price is negligible, and I’ll probably be taking him in deep leagues.
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