Fantasy football handcuffs, for the uninitiated, are essentially backup players who are poised to take over for a team’s starter in the event of an injury. This approach, considered an insurance policy, helps you mitigate the risk of losing valuable points due to unexpected injuries. This strategy has been a popular move on draft day, where fantasy managers stash the backups of the prominent running backs they’ve drafted.
The focus on running back handcuffs has gained more significance in recent years. The NFL has gradually shifted away from bellcow running backs while leaning more on running back committees, making these handcuffs even more valuable because they might end up being more than a backup. They might be a 1B starter with a semi-prominent role already.
Here is a look at our updated Fantasy Football Handcuff Report, with some recent player notes breaking down some of the developing situations.
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Handcuff: Kenny McIntosh (RB – SEA)
Kenny McIntosh is expected to have a larger role on offense during the preseason, given the injuries to Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The 7th-round rookie out of Georgia has been splitting 1st-team reps with fourth-year pro DeeJay Dallas, showcasing his explosiveness at sub-200 pounds and proficiency as a receiver. Head coach Pete Carroll says he was one of the “highlighted players” during off-season activities and training camp.
Like most Georgia running backs, Kenny McIntosh had to bide his time before getting the opportunity to shine in the Bulldogs’ offense. With Zamir White and James Cook drafted to the NFL in 2022, McIntosh got his shot to perform. He led Georgia in rushing yards (824) and thrived as a receiver out of the backfield. McIntosh earned PFF’s highest receiving grade among all RBs in the FBS (86.8) due in part to compiling the second-most receiving yards among RBs (509). With solid size (listed as 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds) and a dynamite receiving profile, McIntosh could have some serious fantasy football sleeper appeal with his newfound opportunities in an injury-ridden Seattle backfield.
Shouldn’t be overlooked that in 2021, McIntosh was posting better per-snap numbers than both White and Cook as both a rusher/receiver as PFF’s 8th-highest graded RB in the FBS among running backs with at least 50 carries. McIntosh can compete, and the path for touches is there for the taking in Seattle.
Handcuff: DeeJay Dallas (RB – SEA)
DeeJay Dallas is expected to have a larger role on offense during the preseason given the injuries to Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. He has been splitting 1st-team reps with 2023 7th-round rookie selection, Kenny McIntosh. The team knows what they have in Dallas after he’s spent three years within the organization. Pete Carroll has said that Dallas has bulked up to nearly 230 pounds, which gives him bell-cow size to handle a massive workload. And while McIntosh might offer more upside as a one-play receiver/explosive rusher, Dallas is built more to take on a workhorse role if presented with the opportunity. The team has never shied away from using the bigger back as part of their receiving game, as he has been targeted at least twice in half of his NFL games played where he recorded snaps on offense.
The trust and reliability Dallas owns might give him the edge over McIntosh, despite the latter offering more “sexy” appeal as an unknown rookie. Even though Dallas owns better draft capital (4th-round versus 7th) and is a superior athlete. Remember, there’s a reason that McIntosh was drafted in Round 7. He ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at 204 pounds. (23rd percentile). Dallas ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at 217 pounds. McIntosh also surpassed 15 carries just twice in his four-year collegiate career. Dallas could easily be this year’s Samaje Perine. A la, a completely forgotten backup RB who finally delivers when called upon.
Handcuff: Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)
Unfortunately for Charbonnet, he has already picked up a shoulder injury during the preseason. Head coach Pete Carroll has labeled him “out indefinitely.” Not good. Carroll is usually one of the most optimistic when it comes to his players’ availability. The fact that “indefinitely” is already being thrown around is bad. Jamal Adams was out indefinitely with finger injuries this time last year. He was ready for Week 1. But that was after surgery. Adams came back for Week 1 before missing the rest of the season with a different injury. Torn quad. But also last year, Seattle linebacker Darryl Johnson was labeled out indefinitely after Week 4. Was placed on IR and never returned.
Because Charbonnet has already practiced he can’t be put on PUP, making IR his next logical spot as the roster gets trimmed down to 53 (Aug 29th). However, this will have to wait until the season starts…so Charbonnet can return to the team at some point (will have to miss at least 4 games).
If he gets put on IR before the season…He’s done for the 2023 season. As it stands right now, I’d bet Charbonnet misses at least the first month of the season…if not more. That’s obviously a major boost for Kenneth Walker, and likely gives more fantasy value to fourth-year pro DeeJay Dallas and 2023 7th-rounder Kenny McIntosh.
Starter: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
The All-Pro running back has demanded a trade from Indianapolis after the team failed to give him a new contract with him hitting free agency at the end of the year. He’s currently on the PUP list – recovering from January ankle surgery – but the team has talked about putting him on the NFI list. This stems from a report that he suffered a back injury away from the facility, but Taylor has denied he has ever suffered a back injury. Again, it’s clear that Taylor is disgruntled and that these two parties are going to part sooner rather than later. Jim Irsay has claimed they won’t trade him now and they won’t trade him in October. The Panthers GM said the same thing last offseason about Christian McCaffrey, who got traded after the team started 1-5. So, I think there’s a pretty good chance Taylor gets dealt away at some point, whether that be in the offseason or before the trade deadline. And most likely, it would be to a contender in a favorable situation.
As for JT as a Colt, it’s ambiguous if he’s going to hold out; he’s yet to play during training camp but is present in a potential effort to avoid hold-out fines. Even so, the new CBA is designed to keep players from holding out, because they do not accrue a season by sitting out. Therefore, Taylor would be just hurting himself more by not playing, because he would not be able to hit FA with accruing the final year of his rookie contract.
And has an impending free agent, Indy as all the incentive in the world to “churn and burn” their star RB, which will likely benefit Taylor’s short-term production. The downside to this is that should JT get hurt or banged up, he’d likely do whatever possible to not actually suit up. However, Taylor did say back in April that he made a four-year obligation to the Colts when he signed his rookie contract and he would essentially play it out, with massive undertones suggesting that he didn’t expect to get extended before the 2023 season. Head coach Shane Steichen and Irsay have been vocal about Taylor’s presence in the development of Anthony Richardson, further suggesting that he is in their short-term plans for the season. Throwing your rookie QB to the wolves without the team’s best offensive player is not a recipe for success in any manner.
Currently behind Taylor on the Colts depth chart includes former Buffalo Bills RB Zack Moss, 2023 rookie Evan Hull and third-year RB Deon Jackson. Moss will miss the next six weeks after suffering a broken arm.
All in all, this is another “buy the dip” situation if/and Taylor’s ADP nosedives into Round 3. If he plays for the Colts, he will undoubtedly be a bell cow. And if he gets traded, he will be on a contender in a better offensive situation.
Handcuff: Evan Hull (RB – IND)
Evan Hull was a draft-day steal for the Colts on Day 3. The Northwestern product spent the past two seasons owning his team’s backfield as a mega-producer posting back-to-back seasons with a 35% dominator rating. The 5-foot-10 and 209-pound back hauled in 87 passes for 800 receiving yards as a full-blown three-down back while forcing over 100 missed tackles. With a decorated production profile and desirable athleticism – 78th percentile or better tester in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and 3-cone drill – Hull rising the ranks in Indy’s backfield should surprise nobody. He led all FBS running backs in receptions and receiving yards in 2022. Hard not to view him as the favorite for the No. 2 spot with Zack Moss sidelined due to a broken arm.
What is a fantasy football handcuff?
A fantasy handcuff is a backup that will likely take over for a team’s starter in the event of an injury. A common strategy on draft day is to stash the backups of the prominent RBs you’ve drafted. Below is a chart of each team’s handcuff along with their Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) and current ADP.
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