Handcuff Harbor Vol. 1 || Late Round League Winners

When you dive into the statistics, running backs are the most frequently injured players by position in the NFL. Last year we saw an abundance of injuries at this position which unfortunately had massive fantasy implications for fans around the world. The reality is your starting RB’s have an above average chance of missing at least one game a year due to injury, but don’t fret, a solid handcuff running back taken in the later rounds of your draft can do wonders.

A handcuff running back is most commonly described as a reliable backup who if needed can step up and facilitate the running game in the starters absence. In essence the handcuff running back can be a make or break league winner in the unfortunate situation where some of the top talents in the league can’t suit up on Sunday. Many fantasy managers saw this come into play last season when star Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey went down in week 2 with a high ankle sprain that limited him to just 3 games in 2020, paving the way for veteran backup Mike Davis to have a fantastic year.

Mike Davis was a healthy waiver wire add for most last season, and proved to be a league winner. He finished as the RB12 in PPR scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game when starting. His massive over-performance most likely won't be duplicated by a running back this season but the principle is still there, get a backup who can obtain above average carries/targets when filling in for a starter during the later rounds in your draft. Davis filled in for an offense that glorified the checkdown and utilized the running back in the passing game as he had 7 games with 6+ targets.

Handcuff Harbor is a segment dedicated towards potential breakout backup running backs. Just like a harbor is used as a safe space on a body of water, this is a list of guys you can use as a safety net for your stars. A list of guys who have either already proven they can fill in emphatically, or fresh legs who have plenty of potential to keep you in fantasy playoff contention. Welcome to volume one of Handcuff Harbor ladies and gentlemen.

I’m trying to keep my average draft position (ADP) for these guys past the 8th round so the risk level drops, providing a realistic possibility of snagging your handcuff deep into the draft process. Every back featured on this segment will have an ADP outside the top 100 selections as we go.

The poster boy for this segment is ol’ reliable Gus Edwards, the 26 year old back from Baltimore. Gus Edwards in his 3 seasons in the NFL has posted above 700 yards each year despite never starting more than 6 games in a season. He’s never posted a season with less than 130 carries and has averaged 5+ yards per carry each season! He is by far my most reliable backup available and currently has an ADP of 9.08 projecting as the RB42 in PPR. During his NFL campaign Edwards has gained yards on 89.1% of his 414 carries, more than any other NFL player during that time.

Baltimore runs the ball more than any team in the game and they made that abundantly clear down the stretch as they averaged 34.6 carries per game on the year and 40.3 per game during the last 3 games of the season. The Gus Bus just received a solid 2 year $10 million contract extension after receiving a 2nd round tender in the beginning of the offseason, proving this team thinks highly of him and he will have a carved out role within Baltimore.

After looking through his PlayerProfiler you notice how well he plays within this offense and his importance on the goal line. He had 8 goal line carries last year which ranked 14th in the league despite having the 28th most carries in 2020. Playing on Baltimore means you'll constantly be playing with a stacked box of 7-8 men waiting to converge, Gus consistently pushes through. His true yards per carry sat at 4.9, good for 3rd in the league. His consistency and ability to keep the chains moving and create positive plays will be essential, especially behind a burst / elusive back like J.K Dobbins.

His 6.2% (7th) breakaway run rate is a magnificent blend of misdirection, stacking up yards after contact, and a top tier offensive line creating space early. A big concern is his snap share which is due to a constant running back by committee, although he ranks 64th in snap share he still was able to produce RB28 numbers in standard scoring. The contract combined with the consistency and big play potential should help see this low snap number take off.

Edwards has never received a heavy target share but does have the capability to snag passes and move after the catch. His 14.3 yards per catch were a bright spot, despite having half the amount of receptions as Dobbins he finished the year with more receiving yards. In full PPR his ranking has to drop slightly due to his low target numbers, but his ability to create space while Lamar escapes could provide his 4th straight year increasing his target total.

Speaking of Dobbins thats who his main competition is and who most of you will have Edwards as a handcuff for. Dobbins does an excellent job at creating space whether it be through initial misdirection or cuts down field. This segment will never be based on someones probability of getting hurt but I will do my due diligence in pointing out injury history. Dobbins doesn’t fit this category, having 0 problems in his rookie campaign and his worst college injury being a high ankle sprain in the Fiesta Bowl. Regardless of injury play time, Edwards has his role and will be a streamer option for multi-flex leagues due to his goal line ability and consistent 700+ yard average year after year.

The point of this segment is to highlight backup running backs that could explode if your star back that you drafted in the first 4 rounds goes down at any point of the season. Edwards has proved himself as one of the more consistent guys in the league and his teams ability to create space and run more than anyone else puts him at the forefront of handcuffs. He has big time potential to have a Mike Davis-esque campaign if his number gets called more than expected in this upcoming season.

We will be back with Handcuff Harbor Volume 2 where i’ll highlight a younger player that can currently be taken in the 11th round of most redraft leagues. Thanks for tuning in, we’ll see ya next week!

- Ryan Mobley, Upside Play

* Cover Photo Via: (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

* Twitter accounts sourced from: @British_Raven19, @BleacherReport, @Ihartitz