Coming out of Week 6, we have a few things to look at for the handcuff report. On Thursday, we had Jordan Mason leave the game with a shoulder injury. That paved the way for Isaac Guerendo to get some run and finished just shy of 100 yards rushing. How we approach Guerendo on waivers this week will depend on practice reports today.
Then on Sunday, some backfields didn’t quite shake out from an outcome perspective the way we might have thought. Bucky Irving drew the start for Tampa Bay but it was Sean Tucker who had the better day statistically. Travis Etienne left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, which should have put Tank Bigsby in a spot to lead the backfield. Instead, D’Ernest Johnson played 58% of the snaps and led Jacksonville running backs in touches.
In both of the examples above, it is important to stand by the long-term plan as opposed to a one-week sample. Will Tucker and Johnson outscore Irving and Bigsby, respectively, most weeks? Probably not, but in a blowout, like their teams were involved with on Sunday, it was within the range of outcomes. Do those two outcomes mean we were wrong in our analysis? Not necessarily, but they do give us things to think about moving forward.
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Handcuff Rankings
1. Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
This is probably Chase Brown’s last week on this list as he looks set to take over as the starter in Cincinnati. I have been saying for a few weeks now that the Bengals can use his big-play ability and Sunday night they finally gave him a starter’s snap share (62%). Zack Moss will still be involved but Brown looks to be on the cusp and should be 100% rostered.
2. Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)
It will be interesting to see what happens here when Devin Singletary returns. Tyrone Tracy has been very good the past two weeks with 236 total yards and a touchdown with bell-cow usage. Singletary was doing well in his own right before his injury, however. The Giants’ offense might be fun and worth watching once Malik Nabers is back. Tracy is a hold for me in redraft leagues even if he splits time with Singletary.
3. Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)
Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson pounded the Carolina run defense for almost 200 rushing yards between them. I was off base last week with my concerns for Allgeier if Robinson were to miss time. It is obvious the staff in Atlanta loves him and he is Flex viable in favorable fantasy start sit matchups.
4. Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)
Status quo for Zach Charbonnet, who is still playing around 35-40% of the snaps when Ken Walker is active. Charbonnet is a perfect fit for what Seattle is doing offensively, so it is no surprise how well he produced when given the chance. I am bumping him ahead of Irving and Bigsby because of his workhorse role when Walker was injured.
5. Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
As mentioned in the opening, Bucky Irving was outscored by Sean Tucker on Sunday but the blowout had a lot to do with it. In reality, Irving did exactly what we expected him to do, going for 105 total yards and a score. He got stronger as the game wore on and his touchdown run in the fourth quarter put the game away. Foot injuries can be tricky but if Rachaad White returns, the combination of a shared backfield plus difficult fantasy start sit matchups make Irving’s short-term outlook somewhat cloudy.
6. Tank Bigsby (RB – JAX)
Travis Etienne’s injury does, indeed, open the door for Tank Bigsby to take over. I think the blowout factor for Jacksonville was real on Sunday, which may have contributed to D’Ernest Johnson playing 56% of the snaps. However, there is some concern the Jaguars don’t trust Bigsby on passing downs, which contributed to Johnson’s snap share. If Etienne misses time, Bigsby should be the primary beneficiary but Johnson could be plenty involved as well.
7. Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)
With Breece Hall rolling through the Bills’ porous run defense, Braelon Allen saw a decreased snap share Monday night. Much like Charbonnet, things are status quo here and Allen would be the primary beneficiary of an injury.
8. Isaac Guerendo (RB – SF)
The handcuff to the handcuff in San Francisco still has a lot of value, as shown Thursday night. Isaac Guerendo was forced into action by a Jordan Mason injury. He rushed for 99 yards on 10 carries, narrowly missing a touchdown when he slid down inside the 5-yard line. Kyle Shanahan may not ride Guerendo the way he did Mason, but anything over 15 touches would be plenty given his explosive nature. Monitor practice reports but Guerendo is potentially the top waiver add.
9. Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)
With Gus Edwards landing on injured reserve (IR), the door has opened for Kimani Vidal to be one of the top handcuffs in fantasy. He gave off prime Austin Ekeler vibes on a wheel route down the sideline for a touchdown Sunday. The Chargers are intent on running the football. With J.K. Dobbins so fragile, Vidal could find himself in a featured role at any point.
10. Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)
Ty Chandler is, at the very least, the main backup running back for a 5-0 Vikings team. If Aaron Jones misses any time due to his hip injury, Chandler could be a viable fantasy spot starter against the Lions. Should Jones be out for an extended period, the Vikings’ schedule becomes even more favorable, with matchups against the Rams, Colts and Jaguars coming up.
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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.