This week, we have a shakeup in the top 10 of the handcuff rankings. A.J. Dillon falls off the list after another mediocre performance in the absence of Aaron Jones. Samaje Perine tumbles down the list as well, as the Broncos offense looks every bit as broken as it was last season. Devon Achane takes the top spot after his monster game, although he may not meet the definition of a true handcuff. Elijah Mitchell moves up and Cam Akers debuts as he will be joining Alexander Mattison in Minnesota.
To explain the process for creating this list, I normally try to start with backs who will get 15+ touches if the starter on their team would get hurt. Opportunity is everything for running backs, so I want to make sure the players on this list are going to be ones with a clear workload if they would become the starter.
Additionally, when I create this list, I try to avoid players who are currently the starter for their team, i.e., someone like Zack Moss. Moss will be relegated to backup duties once Jonathan Taylor is back, but I am breaking my rule this week. I want to convey to the readers that even if Taylor makes a return in Week 5, dropping Moss is ill-advised.
So far this season, Moss ranks as the RB7 in PPR points per game. A small sample size, yes, but Moss is putting together a great start to the year. He should be 100% owned in all leagues, and with Taylor being frustrated over his contract, who knows how many games he will play this season. The Colts seem so confident in Moss that they released Deon Jackson over the weekend, leaving Trey Sermon as the current backup. In other words, continue to gather Moss.
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Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Rankings (Week 4)
Handcuff Rankings
- Devon Achane (MIA)
- Zack Moss (IND)
- Chuba Hubbard (CAR)
- Elijah Mitchell (SF)
- Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
- Cam Akers (MIN)
- Jaylen Warren (PIT)
- Samaje Perine (DEN)
- Tyjae Spears (TEN)
- Roschon Johnson (CHI)
Miami Dolphins
- Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. (on IR), Devon Achane
I feel compelled to touch on Miami because of the absurdity that is their offense. Sunday against Denver, the Dolphins rolled up over 700 yards of total offense, including 352 on the ground. Raheem Mostert and Achane combined for seven touchdowns, with Achane having 233 total yards and scoring 51.2 PPR points. While we won’t see this type of performance every week, it should be noted that Mostert is currently the RB1 and Achane the RB5 in PPR leagues. I write that to say that I do not believe the raw production is at all fluky, and we can probably bet on a Miami running back to finish as an RB1 most weeks as long as Tua Tagovailoa is healthy. The key, of course, will be nailing down which running back will get the touches to make that happen. While Jeff Wilson Jr. is on IR, Mostert is a must-start and Achane is flex-worthy at worst.
New Orleans
- Starter: Alvin Kamara
- Handcuff: Tony Jones Jr., Kendre Miller, Jamaal Williams (On IR)
Alvin Kamara returns this week, and it is none too soon for the Saints. Neither Tony Jones Jr. nor Miller did enough yesterday in Green Bay to earn significant work with Kamara back. I would anticipate a 70% snap share for Kamara this week, and he should be locked in as an RB2.
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Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.
