Injuries are an unfortunate given when it comes to the NFL and fantasy football seasons, so it’s vital to know who you’ll want to pick up in the event your starting RB goes down.
Updated November 14, 2024
A handcuff in fantasy football is a backup who will become the starter in the event the primary player at that position is unavailable to play. Nowhere is a handcuff more important than at the running back position, where injuries are common and backups tend to have a bigger impact when forced into action.
In some cases, an injury isn’t even necessary for the backup to make his mark. There may be a nominal starter who winds up with more of the workload, but there could be enough carries to go around for multiple backs, especially as the season drags on and coaches try to manage the miles put on their workhorses.
Knowing who are the best RB handcuffs across the league can help as you cultivate your roster throughout the season, either during draft day or considerably later. And in some cases, it can help you take advantage when a league rival loses his or her first stringer and you’re quicker on the draw to land the player whose chance to thrive suddenly arrives.
With that in mind, here’s a list of each team's RB depth chart for the 2024 NFL season, along with urgency recommendations — meaning how vital it is you go pick up or seek out that team’s handcuff once his opportunity arises — for each backup.
As with most fantasy advice, plenty depends on the size of your league and your scoring and roster settings, so become acquainted with those before taking any actions.
Each NFL Team’s RB Depth Chart, Handcuffs
Starters are listed in bold; would-be starters who are injured are listed in italics. You can presume that players listed as RB2 are primary handcuffs, unless specified differently.
Depth charts are according to each team’s official submission (Updated October 18, 2024).
Arizona Cardinals
- RB1: James Conner
- RB2: Emari Demercardo
- RB3: Trey Benson
- RB4: DeeJay Dallas
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Even though he’s technically third-string, Benson is likely the higher-upside handcuff, but he’s an unproven commodity on a team with a QB who also has a penchant for using his legs.
Atlanta Falcons
- RB1: Bijan Robinson
- RB2: Tyler Allgeier
- RB3: Avery Williams
- RB4: Jace McClellan
Urgency recommendation: High
Robinson and Allgeier already share the workload, and if anything were to happen to the former, Allgeier could have league-winning potential. He already has a 1,000-yard season to his name.
Baltimore Ravens
- RB1: Derrick Henry
- RB2: Justice Hill
- RB3: Keaton Mitchell
- RB4: Rasheen Ali
Urgency recommendation: High
Hill has more utility as a pass-catcher than a rusher, but he has shown his explosive ability in spurts, and the Ravens scheme plenty around their running backs. Henry is largely unbreakable, but if he happened to go down, Hill would become a top-priority add.
Buffalo Bills
- RB1: James Cook
- RB2: Ray Davis
- RB3: Ty Johnson
- INJ: Darrynton Evans
Urgency recommendation: High
In his first start with Cook injured, Davis dazzled on the ground and through the air, and it doesn’t look like there would be any dropoff in production from the Bills backfield if he were to step in for the long haul.
Carolina Panthers
- RB1: Chuba Hubbard
- RB2: Miles Sanders
- RB3: Raheem Blackshear
- INJ: Jonathon Brooks
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Big things are expected from Brooks, but as a rookie coming off a serious knee injury, it’s unclear how much of a full workload he would be able to handle.
Chicago Bears
- RB1: D’Andre Swift
- RB2: Roschon Johnson
- RB3: Travis Homer
- INJ: Ian Wheeler
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Neither Johnson nor Herbert is a very efficient runner at this stage, but the Bears’ offense is humming, and there would be room for opportunity should the dual-threat Swift get injured.
Cincinnati Bengals
- RB1: Chase Brown
- RB2: Khalil Herbert
- RB3: Trayveon Williams
- INJ: Chris Evans, Zack Moss
Urgency recommendation: High
Brown and Moss are a 1A-1B tandem as is, but if either went down and the other were to become more of a full-time starter, his potential output would be significant.
Cleveland Browns
- RB1: Nick Chubb
- RB2: D’Onta Foreman
- RB3: Pierre Strong
- INJ: Jerome Ford
Urgency recommendation: Low
With Chubb missing the first six weeks of 2024, we saw the potential of Cleveland’s backfield, and it’s bleak. Ford couldn’t seize an outright role, and the backups all took work from each other.
Dallas Cowboys
- RB1: Rico Dowdle
- RB2: Ezekiel Elliott
- RB3: Dalvin Cook
- RB4: Deuce Vaughn
Urgency recommendation: Low
It took Dowdle a few weeks to become the starter, but it’s clear he’s more dynamic than a washed-up Elliott. Dallas’s run game doesn’t have a lot of variety to it.
Denver Broncos
- RB1: Javonte Williams
- RB2: Jaleel McLaughlin
- RB3: Audric Estime
- RB4: Blake Watson
Urgency recommendation: Mild
McLaughlin has shown his explosiveness in the past, but he also has never proven to be a bellcow. If Williams were to get hurt, this would shape up to be more of a timeshare between McLaughlin and Estime.
Detroit Lions
- RB1: David Montgomery
- RB2: Jahmyr Gibbs
- RB3: Craig Reynolds
- RB4: Sione Vaki
Urgency recommendation: High
Montgomery and Gibbs are co-RB1s, so if either got the (pardon the pun) lion’s share of the work, he would instantly become that much more valuable. If both were hurt, even Reynolds would be a worthwhile addition in that offense.
Houston Texans
- RB1: Joe Mixon
- RB2: Dameon Pierce
- RB3: Dare Ogunbowale
- INJ: British Brooks
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Mixon already got hurt in his first season in Houston, and the returns were mixed. The Texans have a great offense, but Pierce is a known commodity and flopped as a full-time starter in 2023.
Green Bay Packers
- RB1: Josh Jacobs
- RB2: Emanuel Wilson
- RB3: Chris Brooks
- INJ: MarShawn Lloyd
Urgency recommendation: High
Green Bay has a high-powered offense, and whether it’s Wilson (who averages over five yards per carry, albeit in a small sample size) or the talented rookie Lloyd, there would be plenty of potential in the event of a Jacobs injury.
Indianapolis Colts
- RB1: Jonathan Taylor
- RB2: Trey Sermon
- RB3: Tyler Goodson
- RB4: Evan Hull
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Sermon has a pretty limited ceiling as an NFL rusher, and with QB Anthony Richardson potentially handling plenty of goal-line work (if healthy), that ceiling comes down even lower.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RB1: Travis Etienne Jr.
- RB2: Tank Bigsby
- RB3: D’Ernest Johnson
- INJ: Keilan Robinson
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Etienne is RB1 in name only, as Bigsby has proven to be the more impactful runner in 2024. The only concerns are that Jacksonville wouldn’t fully turn the keys over to him and that the team’s struggles could game-script any backup out of a big workload.
Kansas City Chiefs
- RB1: Kareem Hunt
- RB2: Carson Steele
- RB3: Samaje Perine
- INJ: Isiah Pacheco
- INJ: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Urgency recommendation: High
Don’t overthink it: The starting running back on a team run by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid should be a priority for fantasy managers.
Las Vegas Raiders
- RB1: Zamir White
- RB2: Alexander Mattison
- RB3: Ameer Abdullah
- RB4: Dylan Laube
Urgency recommendation: Low
Neither White, Mattison nor Abdullah is particularly prolific, and the Raiders’ offense is toward the bottom of the league in points per game.
Los Angeles Chargers
- RB1: J.K. Dobbins
- RB2: Gus Edwards
- RB3: Kimani Vidal
- RB4: Hassan Haskins
Urgency recommendation: High
The Chargers value the run, and Vidal showed on his first touch as a pro what he could do, catching a long touchdown out of the backfield. Dobbins has thrived in this offense, but he also is injury-prone, which could open the door.
Los Angeles Rams
- RB1: Kyren Williams
- RB2: Ronnie Rivers
- RB3: Blake Corum
- RB4: Cody Schrader
Urgency recommendation: High
Even though he’s listed as third-string, Corum could wind up being the guy to inherit the bulk of Williams’ large workload. The rookie has higher upside with the ball in his hands than Rivers, but blocking is not his forte, which is why Rivers remains preferred on the depth chart.
Miami Dolphins
- RB1: De’Von Achane
- RB2: Raheem Mostert
- RB3: Jaylen Wright
- RB4: Jeff Wilson Jr.
Urgency recommendation: Mild
The Dolphins’ offense has been a dumpster fire in 2024, so even though Mostert led the NFL in rushing TDs in 2023 and Wright has shown himself as a high-upside rookie, it’s hard to put full trust in this backfield.
Minnesota Vikings
- RB1: Aaron Jones
- RB2: Ty Chandler
- RB3: Cam Akers
- RB4: Myles Gaskin
Urgency recommendation: High
Chandler has done it before to a decent degree down the stretch in 2023, and he would stand to inherit a favorable situation were Jones to miss significant time.
New England Patriots
- RB1: Rhamondre Stevenson
- RB2: Antonio Gibson
- RB3: JaMycal Hasty
Urgency recommendation: Low
The team’s offense is a work in progress, and Gibson is hardly a proven bellcow.
New Orleans Saints
- RB1: Alvin Kamara
- RB2: Jamaal Williams
- RB3: Kendre Miller
- RB4: Jordan Mims
Urgency recommendation: Low
Williams is two seasons removed from leading the NFL in touchdowns, but it’s likely Kamara’s workload would go to a committee, and Taysom Hill is always looming as a touchdown vulture.
New York Giants
- RB1: Devin Singletary
- RB2: Tyrone Tracy Jr.
- RB3: Eric Gray
Urgency recommendation: High
Tracy has already proven his worth as a high-upside handcuff, and even with All-Pro tackle Andrew Thomas out injured, Tracy’s outlook would remain robust in an offense light on playmakers.
New York Jets
- RB1: Breece Hall
- RB2: Braelon Allen
- RB3: Isaiah Davis
- RB4: Israel Abanikanda
Urgency recommendation: High
Allen already looks the part, and with the Jets looking more explosive since making substantial coaching changes, the rookie’s projections would skyrocket if he ever got the starting role.
Philadelphia Eagles
- RB1: Saquon Barkley
- RB2: Kenneth Gainwell
- RB3: Will Shipley
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Barkley has been tremendous since arriving in Philly, but it’s more likely that QB Jalen Hurts does more running – especially in the red zone – than Gainwell or Shipley becomes a dominant fantasy force.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB1: Najee Harris
- RB2: Jaylen Warren
- RB3: Cordarrelle Patterson
- RB4: Aaron Shampklin
Urgency recommendation: Mild
The Steelers’ offense is not exactly the greatest show on turf, and Warren has been hobbled in 2024. His 2023 was proof of his ability as a pass-catcher and big-play runner, though, and if Harris’s sizable volume fell his way, he could be a difference-maker.
San Francisco 49ers
- RB1: Christian McCaffrey
- RB2: Jordan Mason
- RB3: Isaac Guerendo
- RB4: Patrick Taylor Jr.
Urgency recommendation: High
Kyle Shanahan’s running scheme is where running backs go to thrive. No matter who inherits the starting role if McCaffrey remains out or goes down again, he’s a must-add.
Seattle Seahawks
- RB1: Kenneth Walker III
- RB2: Zach Charbonnet
- RB3: Kenny McIntosh
Urgency recommendation: High
Charbonnet has proven his NFL chops and would have league-winning potential if Walker were to be sidelined for the long haul.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- RB1: Rachaad White
- RB2: Bucky Irving
- RB3: Sean Tucker
- INJ: Chase Edmonds
Urgency recommendation: Mild
White is no ironclad RB1, but the team has indicated it’ll go with more of a hot-hand, committee-like approach rather than handing the keys to either Irving or Tucker should it move down the depth chart. There’s potential for whoever gets the call — it just might not be a clear answer as to who that will be.
Tennessee Titans
- RB1: Tony Pollard
- RB2: Tyjae Spears
- RB3: Julius Chestnut
Urgency recommendation: Mild
Spears is a second-year, pass-catching threat with some pop to his game, but he’s never been a big-volume player, and it’s not a given that his workload would be significant enough to vault him to difference-making status on a team with plenty of offensive limitations as is.
Washington Commanders
- RB1: Brian Robinson Jr.
- RB2: Austin Ekeler
- RB3: Jeremy McNichols
Urgency recommendation: Mild
In the time that Robinson has missed – and even when he’s been active – Washington has split its ground game between QB Jayden Daniels, and the backup RBs. It’s a case where neither reserve would be a slam-dunk pickup.
Who Have Been the Best Handcuffs in Fantasy Football?
League-winning players always tend to emerge from the waiver wire, which is why handcuffs can be so valuable. By rostering backups before they get their chance to shine you run the risk of using valuable space on your team with no guarantee it’ll ever pay off. But when it does, it does. Handcuffs don’t always have to be multi-week wonders, either. All it takes is one well-timed playoff-week outburst to become a fantasy football legend.
These are some of the best examples over the last 20 years:
DeAngelo Williams, 2015
Williams seized his chance in Pittsburgh when Le’Veon Bell went down in Week 8 with a knee injury. He finished tied for the league lead in rushing TDs (11) and an RB6 finish in PPR scoring. In the week that would have been most leagues’ championship games, he ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 53 yards. He’s a handcuff hero.
James Conner, 2018
Bell’s season-long holdout was Conner’s gain. He rushed for 973 yards and 12 TDs and caught 55 passes for 497 yards and another score, so anyone who spent first-round draft capital on Bell hopefully added his Steelers’ insurance policy, too.
Phillip Lindsay, 2018
Lindsay was hardly drafted yet wound up with nearly 1,300 rushing and receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns. Anyone who was in on him early as fellow Broncos rookie Royce Freeman’s handcuff reaped the benefits.
Larry Johnson, 2005
When Chiefs star Priest Holmes was knocked out for the season in late October, Johnson went nuclear. He rushed for over 100 yards in nine straight games, had multiple touchdowns in seven of them and had the kind of volume that would never be doled out in today’s game.
Tim Hightower, 2015
Hightower wasn’t a season-long fixture, but while filling in for an injured Mark Ingram, he helped deliver fantasy championships around the globe with his Week 16 showing for the Saints. With 169 total yards and two touchdowns, Hightower is a prime example of a handcuff paying off after just one perfectly timed performance.
