Are RB handcuffs over-rated?

[kearly]

Something I hear a lot in fantasy is that you should always consider a bench spot for a handcuff RB. But looking at the recent history of the game, how often has a "handcuff" RB actually broken out as a big time fantasy contributor?

Last year there was only one such player and he wasn't really a true handcuff. Joique Bell. Did Bush miss a few games? Sure. But that's not why Bell was good in fantasy. He was good because he got a lot of carries even when Bush was healthy, and he also dominated the goal line carries.

I guess you could also put Knowshon Moreno in that category if you drafted early on, but I don't count him because he started the season opener.

If Jamaal Charles goes down, would you expect great production from Knile Davis? I wouldn't. If Marshawn Lynch goes down, we don't even know for a fact who would get the most carries between Turbin and Michael. Anyone feel great about using a roster spot on Chris Polk as McCoy's handcuff (other than Husky homers like me?).

There are some exceptions like say Hyde in SF or Williams in NY, or maybe West in Cleveland. And then you have cases like Pierce in Baltimore where you can get two starts out of him so he's guaranteed to see at least a little bit of action.

I guess the point I'm getting at is that the actual production of a handcuff back is not that great in most cases. If a really good running game has a really talented backup like Hyde or Michael, I would understand going for the handcuff. But in most cases, who's to say that backup RB will be any good even if he gets the reps?

 

[Sac]

I'd rather not handcuff personally. I'd rather use a draft pick for a potential breakout candidate than a pick as insurance that one of my main guys get hurt. That's a potentially wasted pick.

 

[kearly]

The more I study this issue, the more I think a handcuff really only makes sense when the backup RB is every bit as talented as the starter. So for example, drafting Moreno as a handcuff to Ball last year, or drafting Williams as a handcuff for Jennings, etc. Hyde is fine too, and Michael is worth it if the team ever officially makes him the successor to Lynch.

But yeah, it does feel like a handcuff is going to be a wasted pick and wasted roster spot maybe 95% of the time. The exceptions to this rule seem to be cases where the backup RB is very talented.

 

[12th_Bob]

I can't decide, I could of drafted a hand-cuff but I decided to swing for the fences in the late rounds, like picking someone from the RBBC situation who could get the goal line touches instead of a player like Davis or Hyde. Handcuff I'm cool with leaving off the roster and just hoping I can pick him off waivers if a guy gets banged up.

 

[EverydayImRusselin]

I think it also depends on the offense. For instance, I like Chris Polk as a handcuff to Mccoy. If Mccoy is injured, Polk is still going to get a lot of touches. He my not be a top 3 RB, but he will probably be top 10 in that offense. I had Jamaal Charles last year and I did handcuff him with Davis. Week 17 Charles sat out and Davis stepped in and scored 20 points.

 

[ManBunts]

Agreed. On rare occasion I"ll grab one that an opposing team has. I picked up Terrance West this year because Tate LOVES getting hurt, and that ground game will be important. I don't think he'll be good enough to play much, but I CAN leverage him over whoever owns Tate.

And while I get the comparison of Bell and Bush, honestly I don't know if I consider that true handcuff scenario. Bush did what Bush has always done, rush decently, catch a ton and get hurt. I had him and didn't feel the need to go for Bell because I expected as much out of Bush. And I'm not going to ever play both. You're minimizing your point potential that way, so why waste a roster spot on a guy that shares the load when I could get a guy that is a starter.

So, I agree, I find handcuffs unnecessary, and yes, there's a reason a guy is a #2 and not #1. He'll never replace those points, the team will find other ways to compensate.

 

[HAWKAMANIA]

A lot of it depends on the RB. Is the starter injury prone? Is the #2 RB any good? Is the system they're in good enough to make the handcuff productive? There aren't many I would handcuff anymore. I used to do it on a regular basis, but it always ended up with me dropping the handcuff for an addition off the waiver wire for a position I needed, and it was seldom at RB. A couple of years ago I just started grabbing other "handcuffs", just guys I thought were in the right situation if the number 1 goes down or doesn't produce. It's still a complete crapshoot but it's been a little more successful than handcuffing my own RBs. Guys I would consider grabbing as handcuffs Dunbar (Murray), Williams (Jennings), Davis (Charles), Helu (Morris), Hyde (Gore), and maybe James (Martin).