Week 6 of the NFL season is always a pivotal moment, especially for running backs, who often set the tone for their team’s offensive success. By now, teams have had enough time to assess their ground game, and we are beginning to see which backs can sustain early-season form and which ones may have peaked too soon. Injuries, workload management and game scripts all play crucial roles as we enter the mid-season grind.

This week, some new running backs will be in the spotlight, including a couple that had a breakout performance last Sunday in the way of Tyrone Tracy and Jaylen Wright. Both backs look to be emerging talents, although neither has a clear path to 20+ touches as they remain in crowded backfields.

• Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
• Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
• Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
• Fantasy Football Trade Tools

Handcuff Rankings

1. Chase Brown (RB – CIN)

Chase Brown bolts to the top of the handcuff list this week. An injury to Zack Moss potentially opens the door for Brown to see an uptick in usage. With the Bengals sitting at 1-4 and a defense that can’t stop anyone, it probably makes sense for Brown to be more involved anyway. I think he will eventually settle into a 15-18 touch role which, given his explosiveness. This gives him a high ceiling.

2. Tank Bigsby (RB – JAX)

If not for Brown settling in as the presumptive starter in Cincinnati, Tank Bigsby would be the top handcuff this week. He has looked significantly better than Travis Etienne and has now forced his way into a committee situation in Jacksonville. Bigsby had the first 100-yard game of his career Sunday and he might take over as the early-down back as soon as this week. Bigsby and Brown will be the two top waiver wire adds this week.

3. Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)

Tyrone Tracy initially shared touches with Eric Gray, but after Gray’s fumble on the opening drive, Tracy took over as the lead back Sunday. Despite limited experience, the rookie fifth-round pick delivered an unexpectedly strong performance, surging to an impressive 7.2 yards per carry (YPC). Tracy’s breakout showing likely earns him a bigger role in Week 6 against the Bengals and beyond, though whether he’s done enough to overtake Singletary as the top back remains to be seen.

4. Bucky Irving (RB – TB)

Rachaad White looked good last Thursday but Bucky Irving still saw 11 opportunities. He also continues to eat into the snap count for Tampa Bay, playing on 40% of the snaps for the second straight week. He isn’t in the same situation as a couple of backs ahead of him in the short term, but if White were to miss time, Irving might see 20 touches per game.

5. Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)

Zach Charbonnet slips down the list a bit but that is more a function of Ken Walker looking healthy and the backs listed ahead of him having a clearer path to carries right now. Charbonnet is still ultra-valuable as the handcuff in Seattle. He is worth a waiver wire add if someone drops him this week.

6. Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)

Braelon Allen saw his playing time decrease a bit in London as he logged just 26% of the snaps. The entire Jets offense was stymied a bit by a tough Vikings defense, so I am not reading too much into this. Breece Hall‘s struggles make me optimistic about Allen eventually forcing his way into a timeshare this year.

7. Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)

The 36% snap share for Tyler Allgeier overshadows his pedestrian numbers last Thursday but there is some concern for me here. While I think Allgeier would probably be a safe bet for 15 touches per game if Bijan Robinson were to miss time, I don’t know if they would give him much more than that.

Since he got 23 opportunities in Week 1, Robinson’s touch counts have been 18, 18, 11, 15. Would Avery Williams be more involved? Would Atlanta just go full air raid? I could see a couple of different scenarios here. Allgeier is certainly valuable as a handcuff but maybe we need to temper expectations based on what they’ve done with Robinson.

8. Jaylen Wright (RB – MIA)

With De’Von Achane‘s injury, I want to rank Jaylen Wright higher but Raheem Mostert isn’t going anywhere. Still, Wright had season highs in snaps (32%) and touches (13) while churning out 86 yards on the ground. If Achane can’t get back on the field, Wright is an intriguing waiver add for a Dolphins team getting desperate offensively.

9. Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)

Aaron Jones went out with a hip injury, which opened the door for Ty Chandler to see 16 touches on Sunday. He was vultured by C.J. Ham on a short touchdown run, which would have made his final line look much better. Chandler is someone I would want to hold onto as the Minnesota offense will see much better days ahead. The Vikings do have a bye this week, so Jones could return in Week 6, but Chandler is the type of player you want to stash.

10. Alexander Mattison (RB – LV)

Alexander Mattison ran into one of the toughest matchups in the league against Denver, but he did see 17 opportunities on a 57% snap share. Ameer Abdullah was also involved (44% snap share) but Mattison is the handcuff to have here. I don’t think it is a guarantee Zamir White will get his job back. If you have Mattison, he is a strong hold.

Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn

Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.