Fantasy Football Handcuffs: 3 Backup Running Backs to Have on Your Radar in 2026

Top Handcuff RBs in Summary

• Blake Corum, Rams
• Tank Bigsby, Eagles
• Ray Davis, Bills

Running back injuries can completely reshape a fantasy football season, which is why targeting the right handcuffs late in drafts can be so valuable.

The best handcuffs aren't simply the players listed second on a depth chart. We're looking for talented backups with a path to significant volume and an offense capable of creating fantasy production if the starter goes down.

With that in mind, here are three of the best running back handcuffs to target in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

All ADP references come from FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP, and ADP may change after this article is published.

Best Handcuff Running Backs for 2026 Fantasy Football

Blake Corum, Rams

ADP: 91st overall (RB35)

Blake Corum might be the premier handcuff to target this season because we've already seen that the Los Angeles Rams are comfortable giving him meaningful work alongside Kyren Williams.

Corum took a major step forward in 2025, rushing 145 times for 746 yards and 6 touchdowns, good for an impressive 5.1 yards per carry.

That production gives Corum more standalone appeal than many traditional handcuffs, and his upside would increase dramatically if Williams were unavailable. Los Angeles gave Williams 259 carries last season, so there is clearly room for a featured running back to accumulate substantial volume in this offense.

Corum's limited receiving role could prevent him from becoming an elite PPR option even in Williams’ absence, but his combination of rushing efficiency, touchdown potential and projected workload would immediately put him in the weekly back-end RB1/high-end RB2 conversation.

Even managers who don't draft Williams should be interested in Corum as a late-round upside play. And in general, I prefer to have backups of RBs who aren’t on my roster. That’s a way to shoot for upside as opposed to using two roster spots for one player (Rams starting RB in this case).

Tank Bigsby, Eagles

ADP: 162nd overall (RB54)

Tank Bigsby‘s overall 2025 workload wasn't particularly large, but what he did with those opportunities should get the attention of fantasy managers. Bigsby averaged 5.7 yards per carry on 63 rushing attempts last season, and he was especially productive after joining the Philadelphia Eagles.

We got an intriguing glimpse of his ceiling in Week 18 when Barkley didn't play. Bigsby handled 17 touches for 106 scrimmage yards and a touchdown, finishing as a top-10 PPR running back for the week. That's exactly the type of performance fantasy managers should be looking for when identifying a handcuff — someone capable of delivering the goods if their playing-time path is cleared out.

Philadelphia remains an excellent environment for running backs thanks to its offensive line and the rushing threat presented by Jalen Hurts. Bigsby isn't likely to catch enough passes to carry any standalone value while Barkley is healthy, but an injury to Barkley could instantly turn Bigsby into a high-volume starter in one of the league's most appealing rushing attacks.

Ray Davis, Bills

ADP: 227th overall (RB62)

Digging deeper for this one. Ray Davis' workload declined in his second NFL season, but he remains an intriguing lottery ticket behind one of fantasy football's top running backs.

Davis rushed 58 times for 275 yards in 2025, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, while adding 10 receptions for 86 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He showed more of his potential as a rookie in 2024, producing 631 scrimmage yards and 6 total touchdowns despite playing behind James Cook.

The biggest attraction here is the Buffalo Bills offense. Cook erupted for 1,621 rushing yards in 2025, and the presence of Josh Allen consistently gives the Bills' running backs opportunities in scoring territory and favorable defensive looks. Davis wouldn't necessarily inherit every one of Cook's touches, with Ty Johnson still available to handle some work, but he would likely be the favorite for the majority of the rushing workload.

Davis consequently profiles as the type of bench player who could go from being almost impossible to start to a legitimate weekly RB2 in a hurry. That makes him worth having on your radar even if you don’t take him in the draft.

Check out our fantasy football RB rankings as well as our fantasy football cheat sheet.

Fantasy Football Handcuffs FAQ

What is a handcuff in fantasy football?

A handcuff is a backup running back who would be expected to take on a much larger role if the team's starting running back were injured. Fantasy managers often draft handcuffs late as insurance or as upside bench stashes.

Should you draft your own running back's handcuff?

It can make sense, especially if you invest an early-round pick in a running back with a clear backup. Handcuffing can protect some of the value of that roster spot if the starter misses time. However, you can also draft backups to RBs you don’t have on your roster. That actually gives your rosters more potential upside.

Are running back handcuffs worth drafting?

The best handcuffs are worth targeting when they have a clear path to volume and play in a productive offense. A backup with little competition behind the starter can become a valuable fantasy option very quickly.

When should you draft a handcuff running back?

Most handcuffs are better suited for the later rounds of fantasy drafts or as players you don’t draft but place on your watch list as potential waiver adds. Their immediate weekly value is usually limited, so it's generally better to build out your starting lineup before targeting them.

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