Running Back Handcuff Report: Week 6 (2022 Fantasy Football)

It’s hard to believe Week 5 has wrapped up, but we are moving right along. Let’s start with Seattle and Rashaad Penny being lost for the year. This opens things up for Kenneth Walker, who should be good for 12-15 touches. Behind him, I’d prefer DeeJay Dallas over Travis Homer, but things would get thin very quickly in that scenario. Walker should be given plenty of work as soon as this week.

In Arizona, James Conner got knicked up again, as did Darrel Williams. Eno Benjamin played 97% of the snaps in the second half, and I’d say he would be the priority add this week if Walker isn’t available. Benjamin is usable in the passing game, and he might pick up some additional snaps this week even if Conner suits up. It is early in the week, and things are still uncertain on that front.

Two other situations to monitor are in New England and Pittsburgh. New England lost Damien Harris Sunday, and it looks like he is out for multiple games. Fire up Rhamondre Stevenson and also put Pierre Strong on the radar. As for Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin says we will see more of Jaylen Warren. Is that coach speak? Perhaps, but Harris looks horrible, and Warren looks the opposite of that. Be early, not late, on Warren.

Arizona – Starter: James Conner, Handcuff: Eno Benjamin, Darrel Williams

Conner’s rib injury forced him out of the game at halftime, and Williams left in the third quarter with a knee injury. This left Benjamin to soak up almost all (97%) of the second-half work. He finished with 53 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown. The Cardinals get a leaky Seattle defense this week, so monitor the injury report, but Benjamin should be on the FAAB/waiver list to be picked up.

Atlanta – Committee: Tyler Allgeier, Caleb Huntley, Avery Williams

Tyler Allgeier was the main ball carrier Sunday, getting 59% of the snaps and leading the Falcons with 13 carries for 45 yards. Oddly, he didn’t have a reception despite playing 80% of the passing downs. Caleb Huntley ended up with eight carries despite playing only 23% of the snaps, meaning he was touching the ball when he got on the field. However, Avery Williams (28% snap share) ended up out-snapping Huntley, so this one is a little uncertain right now. Allgeier is still worth hanging onto because the snap share is healthy.

Baltimore – Starter: J.K. Dobbins, Handcuff: Justice Hill, Kenyan Drake

Justice Hill missed the game with a hamstring injury, putting Kenyan Drake back on the radar. He and Dobbins both played roughly 40% of the snaps Sunday night but the Ravens never really got going offensively. The Ravens even gave some running back snaps to Devin Duvernay early in the game, which tells me they are still working Dobbins into form. He didn’t have a single touch in the fourth quarter either, so maybe he tweaked something during the game. You will need to exercise some patience here, but I think Dobbins will be OK in the long term.

Buffalo – Starter: Devin Singletary, Handcuffs: James Cook, Zack Moss

Tough to take a lot from this one as Buffalo blasted the Steelers. Devin Singletary got 64% of the snaps before Buffalo started rotating other players in, so his spot atop the hierarchy is secure. I am still in on James Cook as the back I’d want in the event of an injury to Singletary. He scored his first career touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and it seems like Buffalo prefers him to Zack Moss.

Carolina – Starter: Christian McCaffrey, Handcuffs: Chuba Hubbard, D’Onta Foreman

Matt Rhule’s firing is probably a net positive for this team. Hopefully, it will mean good things for Christian McCaffery, who continues to put the team on his back. The only real offensive weapon the Panthers have, CMC played 86% of the snaps Sunday. He went over 100 scrimmage yards, adding seven receptions and scoring a rushing touchdown. He is virtually matchup and coach-proof, but he can’t escape Baker Mayfield‘s horrific play. That is the only thing standing between CMC being a top-three fantasy running back. If you want to stash one of the backups here, I would grab Chubba Hubbard, who out-snapped Do’Onta Foreman by a four-to-one split.

Chicago – Starter: David Montgomery, Handcuff: Khalil Herbert

David Montgomery was back, and he reclaimed his status as the starter, playing 72% of the snaps. His fantasy day was productive, with a rushing touchdown and a four-for-62 receiving line. He only rushed for 20 yards on 12 carries, but he continues to see borderline bell-cow usage when healthy. Herbert’s snap share dropped to 28%, and he barely did anything with his four carries (11 yards). We’ve seen these two be productive, and they represent the Bears’ best opportunity to be competitive in games, so continue to fire up whoever starts.

Cincinnati – Starter: Joe Mixon, Handcuff: Samaje Perine

There is a lot of angst over Joe Mixon’s lack of production, but his snap share (71%) is still one of the highest at the position. The reality is that he also got 17 touches (three receptions) in Week 5 for 88 scrimmage yards, so you’ve got to be patient here. Trading him isn’t going to net an adequate return, and at some point, you have to think Cincinnati will figure things out. As for Samaje Perine, he is still getting work on passing downs, and his four-for-39 receiving line is encouraging. He is a top-10 handcuff because of his pass-catching ability alone.

Cleveland – Starter: Nick Chubb, Handcuff: Kareem Hunt

I can copy and paste the Cleveland blurb at this point. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are at a roughly 50/50 snap split. Chubb is getting all of the early down work and is handling most of the work inside the 10-yard line (three of five snaps). Hunt is in on passing downs and is getting enough carries to be Flex-viable. Cleveland continues to run the ball well and will lean heavily on both backs while Jacoby Brissett is at quarterback.

Dallas – Starter: Ezekiel Elliott, Handcuff: Tony Pollard

It was clear that the Cowboys wanted to establish things on the ground Sunday. Ezekiel Elliott got 22 carries on a 66% snap share, rushing for 78 yards. He is still too touchdown-dependent for me, and for the third time in five games, he was held to less than 10 PPR points. Pollard only got eight carries, but he finished with 86 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown run. Some people would call Pollard a function of good blocking, but if you actually watched the game, you’ll see Pollard break away from Aaron Donald‘s grasp and then break two more tackles before running away from the defense. At some point, we will see Pollard get 15 touches a week, and all will be right with the world.

Denver – Committee: Melvin Gordon III, Mike Boone

The first game with Javonte Williams out saw Melvin Gordon get 55% of the snaps. He finished with 18 touches for over 100 scrimmage yards and was in for all four of the Denver snaps inside the 10. Mike Boone was used primarily as a change of pace back but handled 10 touches for 85 scrimmage yards on a 42% snap share. Denver is a mess offensively but running back is the one area they’ve been getting production from. I’d hold Boone, but Gordon looks like an RB2 right now.

Detroit – Starter: D’Andre Swift, Handcuff: Jamaal Williams

The Lions came crashing to earth Sunday, getting shutout in New England. Jamaal Williams still handled 15 carries for 56 yards, but they couldn’t get anything going offensively. Now the Lions head into their bye week, and I would expect D’Andre Swift to be back for Week 7. That doesn’t mean Williams will be relegated to scraps, but his days of 15+ touches are probably numbered for now. Still, Swift carries plenty of injury risk, so you’re keeping Williams if you have him.

Green Bay – Starter: Aaron Jones, Handcuff: A.J. Dillon

A week after I called this a timeshare, Aaron Jones dominated the backfield and played 71% of the snaps. His 80 scrimmage yards weren’t anything special, but the Packers liked what they had with him in the game. For A.J. Dillon, he played a season-low 31% of the snaps and was hardly a factor. Dillon is still an elite handcuff, but we will have to see if Jones gets this type of snap share moving forward. I’d knock Dillon down a few slots in your RB rankings this week.

Houston – Starter: Dameon Pierce, Handcuff: Rex Burkhead

Dameon Pierce has that dawg in him. His run late in the fourth quarter, where he was breaking tackles and dragging Jaguar defenders, was one of the tougher ones you’ll see this year. His touchdown on the ensuing play put the Texans ahead for good and helped secure their first win. Pierce played 80% of the snaps and racked up 114 yards from scrimmage, placing a stranglehold on the job in Houston. He is no worse than a weekly RB2.

Indianapolis – Starter: Jonathan Taylor, Handcuff: Nyheim Hines

Nyheim Hines was knocked out of Thursday’s game just two snaps in with a concussion. Deon Jackson played 63% of the snaps and worked on most of the passing downs, finishing with 91 scrimmage yards. Philip Lindsay was activated from the practice squad before the game, and he ended up with 14 touches of his own. I would assume both Hines and Jonathan Taylor will be back this week, so I’d leave Jackson and Lindsay on the waiver wire for now.

Jacksonville – RBBC: Travis Etienne, James Robinson

Much like Hall two weeks ago, the window to buy Travis Etienne might slam shut here soon. At the risk of overreacting to a two-game sample size, Etienne has out-snapped James Robinson in each of the last two weeks. Against Philadelphia, we could rationalize it with the fact Jacksonville was playing from behind late, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. Against Houston, he went over 100 scrimmage yards in a game that was close throughout. I am cautiously optimistic for Etienne’s prospects here. Still, with this being a forward-thinking space, I would encourage anyone reading this to try and acquire him now before managers figure out he’s seeing more time on the field than Robinson is.

Kansas City – RBBC: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Isaiah Pacheco

It was a committee appraoch Monday night, with Jerick McKinnon out-snapping Clyde Edwards-Helaire by a slim margin (51% to 45%). McKinnon seems to be the odds-on favorite when Kansas City is in a pass-first, pass-last, pass-always mode, which makes sense as he is great in space. Edwards-Helaire missed a touchdown by a yard, so he almost had himself another 10+ point PPR game.

Las Vegas Raiders – Starter: Josh Jacobs, Handcuff: Zamir White, Brandon Bolden

All of a sudden, Josh Jacobs is a bell-cow. An elite 80% snap share, plus all the passing down and green zone work, makes Jacobs a borderline RB1 candidate right now. I think the usage here is real, but the real test will come if the Raiders have to play from behind over the next few weeks. If he continues to get this kind of usage in those types of game flows, then we will have ourselves the making of a top-10 RB. For now, Zamir White can probably be dropped if you need to add some bye-week insurance.

Los Angeles Chargers – Starter: Austin Ekeler, Handcuff: Joshua Kelley

Austin Ekeler is good at football. He had 199 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns Sunday in a smash spot against Cleveland despite playing only 59% of the snaps. He is on one right now, and he gets the leaky Denver defense next. I moved Joshua Kelley into the official handcuff role here this week, as he saw 10 carries and scored a touchdown on a nicely designed play in the second quarter. Kelley won’t catch passes, but he has been reasonable as a fill-in for Ekeler in the past. Keep him in mind.

Los Angeles Rams – Committee: Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson

Things are getting ugly here. Darrell Henderson played 56% of the snaps (Akers only played 32%), but didn’t record a single carry. Meanwhile, Akers rushed 13 times for 33 yards and looked as dusty as ever. There are major offensive line issues to overcome, and the entire Rams’ offense looks out of sync right now. Neither of these two are startable pieces, but you’ve got to hold if you’ve got them.

Miami – Starter: Raheem Mostert, Handcuff: Chase Edmonds

It’s official:  Raheem Mostert is the starter in Miami. Mostert handled 68% of the snaps (plus most of the Red Zone work) and went over 100 yards rushing with a touchdown. Chase Edmonds started ceding work to Myles Gaskin, so I am not even sure if he is the handcuff. If Mostert is somehow available, he’s the top priority this week.

Minnesota – Starter: Dalvin Cook, Handcuff: Alexander Mattison

Dalvin Cook’s snap share (57%) continues to trend downward, which leads me to believe they are monitoring his shoulder injury. He still had a monster day, going over 100 scrimmage yards and scoring two touchdowns. I’m not overly concerned here, as his 20 touches were on par with his normal workload. Alexander Mattison is working more on passing downs, so that is something to monitor moving forward. If he continues to get 40% of the snaps and 10+ touches, he will be in the Flex conversation.

New England – RBBC: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

Harris went out with a hamstring injury which opened things up for Stevenson. He got 100% of the touches after Harris got hurt and went off for 161 yards rushing on 25 carries. The only negative here was that he didn’t score, but this is the type of production Stevenson is capable of. With Harris out for multiple games, Pierre Strong should be on the radar as the next man up behind Stevenson. Strong is a rookie out of South Dakota State who ran a 4.37 at the combine and could pop for a big play or two.

New Orleans – Starter: Alvin Kamara, Handcuff: Mark Ingram

Alvin Kamara finally got going in the passing game, catching six balls for 91 yards Sunday. He played 71% of the snaps and went over 100 yards rushing, so this was a get-right spot for him. Unfortunately, Taysom Hill scroed three touchdowns, so what was a big day for Kamara could have been a slate-breaking one. Andy Dalton is better for Kamara than Jameis Winston, so if Dalton continues to start, there might be some light there for Kamara’s fantasy value.

New York Giants – Starter: Saquon Barkley, Handcuff: Matt Breida

Let’s run it back this week:  Saquon Barkley, RB1. Barkley was vultured by Daniel Bellinger and missed some time in the second half with a shoulder injury (causing him to lose out on another touchdown). No matter; he took a short crossing pattern 41 yards to set up his game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter. We can debate the merits of taking Barkley in the top five. Yet, when he is healthy, he is a monster.

New York Jets – Starter: Breece Hall, Handcuff: Michael Carter

I am moving Hall to the starter here after his breakout game on Sunday. He had 197 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 20 touches, taking the reigns of the backfield in the process. Hall is a borderline RB1 moving forward, as he is getting all of the passing game and green zone usage. As for Carter, he scored two touchdowns but isn’t a Jamaal Williams-type in that regard. He is still a quality handcuff, but nothing more at this point.

Philadelphia – Starter: Miles Sanders, Handcuff: Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott

While Miles Sanders didn’t get you there on Sunday, he will put up some strong performances if he continues to get a 70% snap share in this offense. Passing on Sanders in most of my drafts this year was probably the wrong play. After a tough matchup with the Cowboys this Sunday night, the Eagles have a stretch of tasty matchups: Steelers, Texans, Commanders and Colts. This offense will put up all the points in late October/early November.

Pittsburgh – Starter: Najee Harris, Handcuff: Jaylen Warren

The Steelers have wasted more first-round picks in the last five years than any team in football, and the cracks are starting to show. I won’t overreact to Najee Harris and Warren splitting snaps 50/50 on Sunday because a lot of Warren’s work came in the fourth quarter. What I will pay attention to, however, is that Mike Tomlin came out on Tuesday and said Warren is going to see more work moving forward. Harris looks like he is already dusty, which is concerning enough, but when you consider Warren has looked so explosive, it’s a real problem. If Harris manages to fall in the end zone this week, I would be trying to trade him ASAP.

Seattle – Starter: Kenneth Walker, Handcuff: Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas

I hate foreshadowing bad things, so I regret mentioning Penny’s injury history in last week’s column, as he will miss the rest of the year. However, this does put Walker squarely in the conversation moving forward. He looked the part of a starting running back last week, especially on his nice 69-yard touchdown run. Walker played 83% of the snaps after Penny’s injury, so I am locking him in as the starter, and we will figure out the handcuff later.

San Francisco – Starter: Jeff Wilson, Handcuff: Tevin Coleman

Jeff Wilson is one of the best stories of the first part of the season, and no one is talking about it. He had 120 yards rushing and a touchdown, making him a top-20 running back on the season. The efficiency of the running game for San Francisco has been key. The other thing that stands out to me is that Tevin Coleman is eating more into Deebo Samuel‘s carries than he is Wilson’s. Wilson can be fired up as an RB2 with upside moving forward.

Tampa Bay – Starter: Leonard Fournette, Handcuff: Rachaad White

Leonard Fournette had a big fantasy day on the back of his 10/83/1 receiving line. He also scored a rushing touchdown, making him the RB2 for Week 5. His snap share is still hovering around 60%, so that is concerning. But as long as he continues to get the high-value carries inside the 10, he should be fine. If you have Rachaad White, keep holding. He’s one tweaked ankle from being the latest rookie to make a splash.

Tennessee – Starter: Derrick Henry, Handcuff: Dontrell Hilliard

The Titans seem to have remembered that riding Derrick Henry is their best opportunity to win games. He had 30 touches for 132 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns. Henry’s passing game involvement is legit, and the Titans should lean heavily on him after the bye week. The other piece to like here is that Dontell Hilliard is clearly the handcuff to have. If you have Henry on your roster, picking Hilliard up after their bye week is worth considering.

Washington – Committee: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Brian Robinson

Brian Robinson’s entrance on Sunday might have been the greatest thing the Commanders will do this year. He then went out and led the backfield in touches, despite playing just 28% of the snaps. Things in Washington don’t look too good, but maybe Robinson can spark something here. I have him on a couple of rosters and am glad I’ve held, as I think he can be an RB2 by mid-season.

Handcuff Rankings

1. A.J. Dillon (GB) – Thought about moving him down, but the workload/offense combo makes it tough.
2. Alexander Mattison (MIN)
3. Jamaal Williams (DET) – Back on the list with Swift’s likely return.
4. Khalil Herbert (CHI) – Guess who’s back? Back again.
5. Tony Pollard (DAL) – Electric run against LA on Sunday. So good.
6. Rachaad White (TB)
7. Kareem Hunt (CLE)
8. Jaylen Warren (PIT) – The hype is real.
9. Mike Boone (DEN) – I think he starts at some point.
10. Samaje Perine (CIN)
11. Dontrell Hilliard (TEN)
12. Eno Benjamin (ARI) – Would be higher if I was certain Conner/Williams are out.
13. Joshua Kelley (LAC) – Ekeler insurance.
14. James Cook (BUF) – Like Vince Vaughn in “Old School”: Still holding.
15. Michael Carter (NYJ)

I would rank the pickups this week like this: Walker (probably rostered), Benjamin, Boone, Warren, Kelley, Gainwell and Strong.

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