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)
Baltimore Ravens
- Committee: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon III
Writing about the Ravens feels gross, but this team has some of the worst injury luck in the league. Justice Hill was inactive, and then Gus Edwards went into concussion protocol during the game. That left Melvin Gordon to handle 88% of the snaps after Edwards was injured. Gordon had 10 carries for 32 yards and chipped in two receptions for 23 yards. Like Matt Breida last week, we have to consider making a modest FAAB bid for Gordon in the event he is the last man standing in Baltimore for Week 4 (Hill is unlikely to play until Week 5). The Ravens face a tough Cleveland defense on the road, however, which doesn’t inspire confidence here.
Cleveland Browns
- Starter: Jerome Ford
- Handcuff: Kareem Hunt
Two touchdowns boosted Jerome Ford’s day, but he was otherwise underwhelming in his debut as Cleveland’s starter. On the plus side, he had a 60% snap share and got the Browns’ only snap inside the 10-yard line. He’s still a weekly RB2 and should be considered that moving forward. Kareem Hunt was signed back to Cleveland’s roster after the devastating Nick Chubb injury Monday night. I am less excited about Hunt now than I was a year ago at this same point in time. The Browns had several chances to bring him back before the season and chose to go with Ford. I would temper expectations for Hunt.
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.
