Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff Rankings: Week 4 (2025)

Week 3 brought more major running back injuries as two starters look to be lost for significant time, while another committee back is also out for the season. James Conner was the latest starter to suffer a season-ending injury. The Cardinals back turns 31 this offseason, so hopefully he can make it back to 100% for the start of 2026. The same goes for Najee Harris, who is also out for the year after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.

While the position always seems to have its share of attrition, this year seems especially brutal, with at least six Week 1 starters set to miss time. Hopefully, this isn’t a trend that continues, but it does seem we have regressed to the injury mean during the first three weeks of the season.

Here are some backfield situations I am monitoring this week ahead of the rankings:

Arizona Cardinals: James Conner is out for the year, meaning Trey Benson is the starter in Arizona. Benson had been carving out a role in Arizona anyway; now he should be in the 15-18 touch range.
New York Giants: Tyrone Tracy Jr. will miss 2-4 weeks with a dislocated shoulder (I would bet this is closer to four weeks), so we can fire up Cam Skattebo after he had 121 total yards and a touchdown on Sunday night. Skattebo will start the rest of the year for the Giants, with Tracy likely handling third downs.
Houston Texans: The Houston offense is a mess, but Woody Marks quietly played 30 out of 63 snaps and ran a route on 19 of C.J. Stroud‘s 43 dropbacks on Sunday. His role in the offense is growing, and it won’t be long before Houston is a committee.
Los Angeles Chargers: The Njaee Harris injury means Omarion Hampton is in for a big role, but I wouldn’t be too eager to grab any of the backups this week. It might be best to examine the distribution of labor.
Cleveland Browns: Quinshon Judkins took over the Browns’ backfield, carrying 18 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Dylan Sampson is the handcuff, but Judkins is the Cleveland back to own.

Running Back Handcuff Rankings

Tier 1: Roster Everywhere

1. David Montgomery (RB – DET)

After rushing for 152 yards last night, David Montgomery takes the top spot. This Detroit offense is one of the best in the NFL, and Montgomery is a weekly Flex play.

2. Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)

Zach Charbonnet’s injury might be worse than originally thought. Seattle signed veteran Khalil Herbert to their practice squad, giving them another option alongside George Holani and undrafted rookie Jacardia Wright to support Kenneth Walker III.

3. Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)

Bhayshul Tuten scored a touchdown on six carries for 21 yards. He is the clear No. 2 RB in Jacksonville, although there is some risk here. The Jaguars don’t look great offensively, and the running back targets have been hit or miss in the first three games.

4. Woody Marks (RB – HOU)

As touched on above, Woody Marks is beginning to see his role grow. The window to get him cheap (as in, not on waivers) is closing. He is well worth the stash this week.

5. Blake Corum (RB – LAR)

Blake Corum popped for 53 yards on eight carries Sunday. He is still playing well behind Kyren Williams because Sean McVay doesn’t favor committees. However, he represents a strong buy this week. The Rams are really good, and Corum could be a league winner if Williams misses time.

6. Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – SF)

Robinson stays this high because of being the Christian McCaffery handcuff. This offense is going to need to pick up the pace, however.

7. Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)

Sunday was hideous for the Falcons, and Tyler Allgeier actually lost carries to rookie Nathan Carter. I would imagine that was because of the blowout, but it is worth monitoring.

8. RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)

J.K. Dobbins handled 11 of the Broncos’ 13 carries on Sunday, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown. As long as Dobbins continues to look this good, Harvey is nothing more than a bench stash. He is still a good one, though, and I would hold here.

Tier 2: A Tier Below But Still Worth Stashing

10. Rachaad White (RB – TB)

Bucky Irving had 29 touches on Sunday, relegating White to spot duty. The good news is that this type of touch share would be ripe for the taking, and Rachaad White has seen workhorse usage in the past. He isn’t Irving, but he’s no slouch either.

11. TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)

Rhamondre Stevenson‘s fumbling issues were a big problem again on Sunday. This is going to open the door for TreVeyon Henderson to get more work; we just have to hope he does something with it. I am cautiously optimistic here that if he does take the job, he won’t give it back.

12. Kendre Miller (RB – NO)

The Saints are pretty dreadful, but Kendre Miller is the only other running back getting any carries. Volume is king, even in a bad offense.

13. DJ Giddens (RB – IND)

I was hoping to see DJ Giddens get more than one carry in the blowout on Sunday, but Tyler Goodson worked in during garbage time. I am not taking much from this, and I still like Giddens as the primary handcuff in a very good Colts offense.

Tier 3: Best of the Rest

14. Ray Davis (RB – BUF)

Ray Davis didn’t get much work last week (zero carries, zero receptions, one target). Ty Johnson was more involved, which makes me think this would be a 60/40 split in the absence of James Cook. There is still a lot of value in a Josh Allen offense, it just isn’t the ultimate smash spot.

15. Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT)

The Steelers are not a great offensive football team, but Kenneth Gainwell does enough things well to warrant consideration. I wouldn’t roster him in anything less than 12-team leagues, but for PPR purposes, he fills Jaylen Warren‘s role pretty well.

16. Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)

The Jets have condensed their offense to the point where Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson are soaking up around 55% of the usage. That keeps Braelon Allen on the handcuff radar, although the Jets have not run the ball well since Week 1 against a dreadful Steelers defense.

Thursday Night Football Handcuff Stash

Trey Benson will be 95% rostered by kickoff, and I have discussed the Seahawks situation ad nauseam. If you are looking for a super speculative stash, Emari Demercado from Arizona could find a path to relevance if Benson falters.

It is probably a longshot, but if you have the bench spot for a stash and Benson isn’t available, Demercado isn’t a bad Thursday night stash.