Week 6 was brutal for the running back position as we saw three starters get injured with two confirmed to miss Week 7. This comes on the heels of Devon Achane, Khalil Herbert and James Conner all going on IR and expected to miss at least four weeks. I touch on the main backfield injuries in blurbs below so I won’t belabor the point about those specific spots here.
This week’s rankings see Zack Moss still sitting atop things, although it does look like Jonathan Taylor is about to take over the Colts’ backfield. Taylor closed the gap on Moss, as it was a near 50/50 split on snaps and touches this week. Moss still has plenty of appeal as a handcuff, however, and if you have Taylor, it makes sense to roster Moss. This is a drum I have been banging for a couple of weeks now but with Taylor set to return to bell-cow usage, you might be able to get Moss cheaper than you could after Week 4.
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Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Rankings (Week 5)
Handcuff Notes From Sunday
- Chuba Hubbard looked good Sunday rushing for 88 yards and a score. He didn’t get the receiving volume we would have hoped to see but he still managed over 16 PPR points, which is about his ceiling, but still rock solid. It makes you wonder why the Panthers signed Miles Sanders in the first place.
- Tyjae Spears continues to out-snap Derrick Henry, although the yards and touchdowns haven’t been there. Spears is in weekly Flex consideration, especially in PPR leagues.
- Devin Singletary split touches with Dameon Pierce and outproduced him in yardage. Pierce looked like a solid buy-low candidate a few weeks ago but now I am wondering if the Texans prefer Singletary’s style with C.J. Stroud running the show. Maybe Houston will start to open things up, making Singletary the best option there.
- Jaleel McLaughlin has forced the issue in Denver to the point where it is a committee backfield moving forward. As a Youngstown State alum, I am levitating.
Handcuff Rankings
- Zack Moss (IND)
- Chuba Hubbard (CAR)
- Jordan Mason (SF)/Elijah Mitchell (SF)
- Jaleel McLaughlin (DEN)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)
- Jaylen Warren (PIT)
- Tyjae Spears (TEN)
- Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
- Devin Singletary (HOU)
- Kareem Hunt (CLE)
- Cam Akers (MIN)
- Roschon Johnson (CHI)
- Matt Breida (NYG)
- AJ Dillon (GB)
- Rico Dowdle (DAL)
Detroit Lions
- Starter: David Montgomery
- Handcuff: Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds
According to Detroit beat writers, David Montgomery’s rib injury could force him to miss some time. How much “some time” amounts to is in question right now, but with Jahymr Gibbs also hobbled, it could be Craig Reynolds leading Detroit this week. Reynolds was fairly ineffective against Tampa Bay with just 15 yards on 10 carries, which could open the door for Gibbs to get going, provided his health allows for it. If Gibbs does play, Reynolds may end up more popular on waiver wires than perhaps his role and talent level can justify.
Los Angeles Rams
- Starter: Kyren Williams
- Handcuff: Ronnie Rivers/Zach Evans
Reports today suggest Kyren Williams will miss the Rams’ Week 7 tilt against the Steelers, and Ronnie Rivers will also miss some time. This will bring Zach Evans into focus, although something tells me Royce Freeman will get called up from the practice squad and be plenty involved. The on-paper matchup with the Steelers is better than people will realize, but Sean McVay could choose to go pass-heavy to turn Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua loose on a vulnerable Pittsburgh secondary. Evans has a lot of raw ability, but he has a lot of work to do in pass protection. He is going to be the top waiver option of the week, but I would caution against going overboard.
San Francisco 49ers
- Starter: Christian McCaffery
- Handcuff: Jordan Mason, Elijah Mitchell
We may not have an update on Christian McCaffery’s status until tomorrow at the earliest, but it looks like Jordan Mason has overtaken Elijah Mitchell as the RB2 here. He out-snapped Mitchell 15-7 on Sunday and in the last two games he has 15 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns. If McCaffery is forced to miss Week 7, Mason should be the priority add here assuming he is still available.
Just be cognizant of this quote from Kyle Shanahan:
“I mean, Elijah has earned a ton with us over these years. I think Elijah when he’s been healthy, has been as good of a back as there is. He’s had a hard time staying healthy, but I also can’t take away anything from JP (Jordan Mason). I mean, every time JP’s got his opportunities, you guys see how he’s done.
So both of those guys have done very well. Elijah came back and practiced late last week on Thursday, so he only got really one true day of practice in and that’s why JP got the first nod once Christian came out, but we’ve got two really good players there, And I know Ty Davis-Price is waiting for his opportunity also. So hopefully Christian will be good to go this week, but if not, we’ve got a group of backs we can rely on.”
Clear as mud.
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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.
