We are cruising into Week 12 and I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. This week we get plenty of football and the opportunity to spend time with family and eat the best holiday meal: Turkey. There is nothing quite like turkey with stuffing, some cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, rolls and sweet potato casserole.
The other part of it being Week 12 is that the handcuff report is winding down. With the fantasy playoffs right around the corner, I will post these rankings through Week 14 before I wrap things up for another season. While there are a handful of bye weeks left, I would urge you to take the necessary steps to roster as many handcuffs as you can. This is particularly true of the guys in the 8-12 range on the list as they are rostered in less than 50% of leagues but could wind up being helpful down the stretch. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity and this week is the perfect time to start stockpiling backups who could pop off.
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Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Rankings (Week 12)
Handcuff Notes From Week 11
Now, for what I saw at the position this week followed by the handcuff ranks for Week 11. Some injuries could open up playing time for a few backfields, so we need to monitor those this week :
- Jaylen Warren is far and away the best running back on the Pittsburgh roster. His 74-yard touchdown run was the only explosive play the Steelers had all day. That Warren was out-touched by Najee Harris is an indictment of Mike Tomlin, who continues to be the most overrated coach in the NFL.
- Jahmyr Gibbs had a 56% snap rate, but what should be more alarming for David Montgomery owners is that Gibbs played on 70% of the snaps inside the 10-yard line. If Montgomery is relegated to being a between-the-20s grinder, he has almost no fantasy value. That said both backs could have a big day on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers.
- Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson were both carted off with injuries, leaving A.J. Dillon as the only active running back on the roster. Dillon should be in line for a 70% snap share against Detroit, making him a volume-based RB2 this week.
- De’Von Achane also left Sunday’s game after he aggravated his knee injury. There is nothing on his status as of this morning but Raheem Mostert is the obvious benefactor. Jeff Wilson also becomes a deep league target after third-string running back Salvon Ahmed landed on injured reserve Tuesday with a foot injury.
Handcuff Rankings
- Zack Moss (IND)
- Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
- Jaylen Warren (PIT)
- Devin Singletary (HOU)
- AJ Dillon (GB)
- Ty Chandler (MIN)
- Keaton Mitchell (BAL)
- Elijah Mitchell (SF)
- Kareem Hunt (CLE)
- Tyler Allgeier (ATL)
- Rico Dowdle (DAL)
- Tyjae Spears (TEN)
- D’Ernest Johnson (JAC) – He’s playing well ahead of Tank Bigsby.
- Miles Sanders (CAR) – Might have been dropped.
- Joshua Kelley (LAC)
Some other names to consider: Ty Johnson (BUF), Jeff Wilson (MIA), Israel Abanikanda (NYJ).
Houston Texans
- Committee: Devin Singletary, Dameon Pierce
Pierce returned to practice Friday but did not suit up for Houston Sunday. That left Devin Singletary as the bellcow for another week. He responded with a whopping 85% touch share and 112 yards rushing with a touchdown. I think offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is smart enough to realize that Singletary gives the Texans a chance to play the style that is most conducive to them winning games. This Texans team is humming offensively right now so Singletary might be the starter here even if Pierce is active next week. For now, Singletary stays on the handcuff list but Pierce might land there next week.
Seattle Seahawks
- Committee: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet
Walker left Sunday’s game with an apparent oblique injury that doesn’t look good. He could miss multiple weeks, which puts Charbonnet in the position to lead Seattle’s backfield. Charbonnet played 92% of the snaps after Walker left the game and amassed 21 touches. He finished with just 69 total yards, however, as the Seattle offense had trouble moving the ball for most of the game. While Charbonnet will be appealing because of his presumed workload, it should be noted that Seattle faces San Francisco twice, Dallas, Philadelphia and Tennessee over their next five games. If Charbonnet does become a league-winner, he will have earned it.
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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.