What is a Fantasy Football Handcuff? A Guide to Handcuffing, Strategies, and More in 2024
Aug 9
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You confidently slam your finger to the keyboard, selecting Christian McCaffrey as your first-round pick in your fantasy league. It’s a no-brainer—McCaffrey is a powerhouse, reliably racking up points each week, and you’re certain he’ll lead your team to fantasy football glory. By week three, you’re already congratulating yourself, envisioning the many ways you’ll boast to your leaguemates after securing that coveted first-place finish in January. Settling on your couch with a bucket of popcorn, you watch McCaffrey dominate the field, guiding your team to the promised land. But suddenly, BAM—he takes a brutal hit and is carted off the field.
You confidently press your finger to the keyboard, selecting Christian McCaffrey as your first-round pick in your fantasy league. It’s a no-brainer—McCaffrey is a powerhouse, reliably racking up points each week, and you’re certain he’ll lead your team to fantasy football glory. By week three, you’re already congratulating yourself, envisioning the many ways you’ll boast to your leaguemates after securing that coveted first-place finish in January. Settling on your couch with a bucket of popcorn, you watch McCaffrey dominate the field, guiding your team to the promised land. But suddenly, BAM—he takes a brutal hit and is carted off the field.
You panic and check the news every five minutes to see if he’s okay. 30 minutes later, you get an alert on your phone that McCaffrey will not return for the rest of the season. How are you gonna manage without your superstar? Your heart sinks as you realize your season's hopes are tied to an injured player. But then you realize - you know a secret strategy that can save your league campaign from sinking, and almost nobody else utilizes. Handcuffing, or drafting the backup player for one of your star players, can save your season from derailing due to unforeseen injuries. In this guide, we’ll delve into the art of handcuffing in fantasy football, explaining how it works, why it’s crucial for a championship-winning strategy, and which players you should consider handcuffing in your 2024 draft. Whether you’re a rookie manager or a seasoned pro, mastering the handcuff strategy could be your ticket to a resilient and triumphant fantasy football season.
In the dynamic world of Fantasy Football, there is one important factor that nobody will ever be able to fully understand: injuries. Sure, some players are injury prone and are tempting to avoid, and some players will have a successful track record of staying on the field, but the sad part is that you never know when a player will go down and be unable to get back up. Injuries have been a staple in sporting events since they were created, and sadly they are not predictable. While this is extremely unfortunate, the season must go on, which means your fantasy football league will continue. If you want to maximize your chances of being prepared for the worst, handcuffing can prevent your season from being dependent on one player’s health.
Injuries will destroy opportunities, but in doing so can create possibilities for new players to shine. When one door closes, another door opens. In other words, when one player goes down, another will jump in to take his place. Referencing the earlier example, Christian McCaffrey is the star RB for the San Francisco 49ers, as many of you know. Whenever the team needs to run the ball, he’s the go-to guy almost every time. So if he were to come down with a fracture or tear (which we all pray does not happen), the 49ers would be unable to provide him with the carries and volume they are used to doing. Do they stop running the ball entirely? No, because that’s not how the NFL works. Instead, they find another guy to do the job.
In San Francisco’s case, Elijah Mitchell would be the next man up. Every handoff and pass that would normally go to Christian McCaffrey would instead be entrusted in Mitchell’s hands. This creates unexpected volume and his fantasy value would skyrocket, so any manager lucky enough to have Mitchell rostered would be given a huge advantage. The whole situation seems like a simple luck of the draw, but the strategy of handcuffing allows you to increase your chances at rostering guys like Mitchell who could potentially step up for you in big moments if handed the opportunity.
Now, this doesn’t mean you go and draft every backup in the league. Few backups receive this kind of opportunity, but every year there will be certain players in this category who will win leagues for whoever has them rostered. The best example of this in 2023 is WR Puka Nacua. If you played fantasy football last year, you know the name very well. If not, Nacua was a 5th round rookie for the Los Angeles Rams that was taken in almost no fantasy drafts due to his position on the depth chart. The Rams seemed to have a plethora of pass-catchers who would compete with Nacua for game time, and star receiver Cooper Kupp was arguably the best in football at his position before the season. However, in August, Kupp got hurt and was unable to play for the first several weeks of the season. This paved the way for Nacua to break out, as he scored 21.9 PPR points in his first game and was a top player all season. He finished as the 4th best receiver in fantasy and averaged more than 17 points.
Finding a backup capable of matching Nacua’s season is borderline impossible, because he wasn’t expected to have any worthy fantasy value before the season. When you are looking to utilize the handcuffing strategy, it’s crucial you draft a player who can provide value even if he isn’t the starter in his position. There’s no use wasting a bench spot on a player whose value is completely reliant upon the starter being unable to play.
For this reason, the handcuffing strategy is mostly ineffective with quarterbacks. Most fantasy teams will only have two or three quarterbacks rostered, so it’s no use to own a player that isn’t even the starter for their own team. In almost every scenario, the QB plays every snap and the backup is only used if the QB1 is unable to play. Unlike running backs and pass-catchers, who will consistently receive playtime even if they aren’t the starter, backup quarterbacks can go full seasons without ever touching the field.
However, one quarterback who stands out as a potential handcuff option is Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team brought in both Wilson and Justin Fields during the offseason, recently naming Wilson as the starter. While Wilson is far from a bad quarterback, his best years are behind him, as he turns 36 in November. It’s clear he’s no longer the player he once was. On the other hand, Fields, though off to a rocky start in his career, is only 25 and could flourish under the guidance of head coach Mike Tomlin. Fields has struggled with decision-making and ball security, but his athleticism and talent are undeniable. His rushing ability has made him a valuable fantasy asset in the past, so if he gets the nod in the NFL this season, he should be a must-start for your fantasy team.
We’ve seen veteran quarterbacks replaced by younger, more dynamic passers many times in recent years—Joe Flacco by Lamar Jackson in 2018, Eli Manning by Daniel Jones in 2019, and Ryan Fitzpatrick by Tua Tagovailoa in 2020, to name a few. Justin Fields is mobile, talented, and still has room to grow, while Russell Wilson, unfortunately, continues to decline with age. Reports from training camp suggest that Fields is impressing and could take over the starting role at some point this season. I’d be surprised if the Steelers are still relying on Wilson by midseason. That said, Wilson did average 17 fantasy points in 2023, so he’s a capable starter for now, even if Fields offers much more upside. In deeper leagues, pairing Wilson and Fields on your roster could be a smart strategy that provides a lethal combination of safety and upside.
While the quarterback position is difficult to handcuff, the rest of your fantasy lineup is not. Using this strategy on running backs, receivers, and even tight ends can save your fantasy season and keep your squad prepared for the worst, and there are some very compelling options this year to snag.
My first potential handcuff option is pairing Seattle receivers DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Metcalf is typically being drafted in the 3rd round of most mock drafts, while Smith-Njigba is going in the 8th or 9th rounds. Currently, Smith-Njigba is listed as the third wide receiver on the Seahawks depth chart behind Tyler Lockett, which explains his lower draft position. However, I believe he has the potential to surpass Lockett at some point in 2024.
If Metcalf were to suffer an injury, I’d be more inclined to bet on Smith-Njigba stepping into the lead role rather than Lockett. Although Smith-Njigba averaged just 8.8 points per game last season, he had six games with over 12 points despite a limited target share. These numbers should only improve as he becomes more acclimated to the NFL in 2024. Lockett, on the other hand, has shown signs of decline over the past few seasons, with 2023 being his weakest year in some time. At 31 years old, Lockett’s skill set and playstyle don’t align with the WR1 profile that Metcalf embodies. While Lockett is a reliable possession receiver with excellent route-running, his explosiveness and athleticism don’t match Metcalf’s.
Smith-Njigba, by contrast, is a dynamic runner with a proven ability to make plays after the catch, a trait that has been key to Metcalf’s success in Seattle. If Metcalf is sidelined, Smith-Njigba would be in prime position to break out and assume the WR1 role in this Seahawks offense. At worst, he should compete for the WR2 spot alongside Lockett and be a valuable asset to start in a pinch. Meanwhile, Metcalf should be a base player on your squad all season, and will consistently produce top numbers each week.
Another handcuff I’m high on is drafting Tyler Allgeier behind Bijan Robinson. Robinson, a generational talent, was drafted last year but had a somewhat inconsistent rookie season due to coaching issues. With a new coaching staff in place for 2024, Robinson is a no-brainer first-round pick and is poised to thrive in Atlanta. As a backup, Tyler Allgeier offers a solid, low-risk option.
Even with Robinson expected to take a big leap this season, Atlanta’s coaching staff appears to still value their backup rusher. Last season, Allgeier logged 186 carries and scored 137 fantasy points, with room for even more production. Remarkably, 34 of his rushes came in the red zone, surpassing Robinson’s 23 carries in that area. It’s surprising that Allgeier only had four rushing touchdowns given how frequently the Falcons relied on him near the goal line.
While Allgeier is likely to see a reduced role in 2024 as Robinson continues to develop, he’s only 24 years old and has been a key part of Atlanta’s rushing attack since entering the league in 2022. He’s earned a top 10 PFF rushing grade over the past two seasons. Even if Robinson stays healthy, I expect Allgeier to still get a share of the carries and have some productive games. If Robinson is sidelined for any reason, Allgeier should be more than capable of stepping in and leading the Falcons’ rushing offense.
Finally, if I draft Kyren Williams in 2024, I’m drafting rookie Blake Corum as well. Kyren Williams skyrocketed in value near the end of last season, and was one of the best fantasy backs when healthy. It’s no surprise he’s being drafted in the first two rounds this year. Corum, on the other hand, isn’t going until around the 10th round in most leagues. If Kyren Williams were to miss time, which he did in 2023, Blake Corum would be the very obvious replacement.
When the Rams drafted Corum in the third round in this year’s draft, it was obvious that they needed a second running back to lessen the load for their main man. In his final five games, Williams was averaging 23 carries each game, which is a massive workload even for a starter. When you give a young, explosive player like that so much volume each week, he’s gonna wear down and you risk injury and fatigue. With Corum now in the picture, he’ll instantly slide into that RB2 spot in this Los Angeles offense and should provide some decent fantasy value even as a backup.
If things go south and Williams finds himself unable to take the field, Corum should have no problem taking on a lead role even as a rookie. First-year running backs tend to have more success than other rookies, and this Rams’ backfield has very low competition. Boston Scott is nearly 30 years old and had just 20 carries last season, while Ronnie Rivers had 32 (13 of which came in week 18). Corum was an exemplary playmaker in Michigan and possesses elite ability in open space, as well as a knack for fighting through tackles and attacking rushing lanes. There is no question he will be a premier fantasy RB if Kyren Williams is absent from the turf.
Handcuffing in fantasy football is a strategic approach that can provide valuable insurance and maximize your team's potential throughout the season. By pairing key starters with their primary backups, you mitigate the risk of injuries and ensure you have a reliable option ready to step up when needed. This strategy not only helps you maintain stability in your lineup but also gives you an edge over your competition by capitalizing on potential breakout opportunities. As you draft, keep an eye on handcuff prospects who have shown promise and are positioned to take advantage of increased playing time. By doing so, you'll enhance your roster's depth and resilience, positioning yourself for success in your fantasy league.