Fantasy Football Handcuff Report: Week 1

As we head into Week 1 of the 2019 season, many of us are still faced with some of the same questions about fantasy football RBs and their backfields that have been gnawing at us all summer long. As a matter of fact, with the flurry of activity that took place this past weekend as NFL teams solidified their 53 man rosters we may have more questions than ever! What will the Chiefs backfield look like? What type of time share can we expect to see in the Texans run game between Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde this season? Unfortunately, we may not even have all our questions answered by the end of Week 1. Some NFL team backfields may be a work in progress for the first few weeks of the season. In the meantime, let’s combine all of the data we’ve accumulated this summer. We’re talking combining the stats, the “information” provided through coach speak, and the exaggerated reports from beat reporters, and try to make some sense of what the RB landscape might look like in Week 1.

Arizona Cardinals

David Johnson ’s preseason ADP climbed up and down the first round of fantasy drafts this preseason. He’s one of the best pass catching backs in football, finishing as RB9 in PPR scoring formats last season. Given the opportunity he’s a gifted runner as well, however he was running behind a terrible offensive line last season and the Cardinals haven’t done much to improve it this past offseason. Pro Football Focus(PFF) ranks the Cards’ offensive line as the 30^th worst in the NFL. However, Johnson’s talent should allow him to still finish the season as a top 10 fantasy RB. We’ll watch his involvement in the Cardinals passing game very carefully this weekend to try to determine his role in the new “Air Raid” offense.

Atlanta Falcons

Devonta Freeman is set to retake the lead role in the Falcons offense after missing 14 games last season recuperating from groin surgery. The Falcons are a pass first team but if healthy, Freeman will get enough work to give him the opportunity to provide lower end RB1 fantasy production. Ito Smith disappointed last season, and is still Freeman’s handcuff, but Qadree Ollison and Brian Hill will be fighting for playing time as well. The Falcons run game was most effective when they used to use that Freeman/Tevin Coleman one two punch. Perhaps as the season unfolds Ollison or Hill could emerge and fill a part of that role. Week 1 might be a bit tough for any Falcons RBs. They face the Vikings who allowed just eight rushing TDs all of last season.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens executed the third highest rate of running plays last season and they’ll continue to be a run first team in 2019. Mark Ingram will be the Ravens’ lead back. There should be enough carries left over to give Gus Edwards some work every week but his fantasy value will predominantly come in the form of Ingram’s handcuff. We list Justice Hill as a change of pace back because of his speed, but his ability to catch passes makes him a threat in third down situations as well. Ravens RBs have a good matchup against the Dolphins in Week 1.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills open up the season with a three-headed monster occupying their backfield. Frank Gore has shown that he can still grind out plenty of yards, and T.J. Yeldon is a very good pass catcher.Rookie Devin Singletary is an elusive back who can tack on yards after contact and catch passes out of the backfield. Look for his role to grow rather quickly as the season progresses. There’s a good chance he emerges as the primary back in the Bills backfield by seasons end.

Carolina Panthers

Panthers RBs not named Christian McCaffrey only carried the ball a total of 51 times last season. There really is no replacing CMC but for now it looks as if Jordan Scarlett will be given the opportunity to be his backup. Reggie Bonnafon who averaged 4.64 YPC and led the Panthers with 13 receptions this preseason would also be in the mix should the Panthers need to try to replace McCaffrey.

Chicago Bears

Between Mike Davis , Tarik Cohen and rookie David Montgomery there are a lot of mouths to feed in the Bears backfield. However, with the Bears executing the sixth highest percentage of run plays last season there should be plenty of work to go around. Davis should fill the more traditional early down role in the Bears backfield and is coming off a season in which he carried the ball a career high 112 times. That number might increase but likely cap out at the 150 range. Cohen and Montgomery’s abilities to cause all kinds of chaos by utilizing their dynamic play-making abilities will likely limit Davis’ workload. Each back should have some fantasy value on a week to week basis. Montgomery is going to be exciting to watch and should have a productive season. His role will likely increase as Bears coach Matt Nagy finds different ways to get him involved in the offense. However, he may fall a little short of fantasy shareholder expectations with Cohen and Davis in the mix all season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Mixon is going to have a hard time running behind what PFF considers the second worst offensive line in football this season. It was pretty bad last season as well, but Mixon still averaged 4.9 YPC. Giovani Bernard is Mixon’s clear handcuff, and with his ability to catch passes he should be able to contribute in both a change of pace and third down back role. Rookie Trayveon Williams, who is dealing with a foot injury, and Samaje Perine are both competing for the RB3 spot on the Bengals depth chart, but have no immediate fantasy value. The Seahawks, who are the Bengals Week 1 opponent, gave up just eight rushing TDs last season, but tied for giving up the fifth most receptions (99) to RBs in 2018. Both Mixon and Bernard are excellent pass catching backs.

Cleveland Browns

Nick Chubb ’s workload is going to be reduced once Kareem Hunt makes his season debut after serving his eight game suspension. The bottom line is that if Chubb has been productive up until that point, which is likely, he’ll still have a significant role in the offense moving forward. His reduced workload may keep him fresh for your fantasy playoff run. While Hunt serves his suspension, Dontrell Hilliard will likely be Chubb’s handcuff with D’Ernest Johnson adding depth as a pass catching third down option.

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott got paid! Some are expecting that he’ll get 20 to 25 carries Week 1, but maybe in actuality he’ll play 20 to 25 snaps. Keep an eye on news surrounding his playing time as game time approaches and unfortunately you’d be wise to believe only half of what you hear. Tony Pollard remains a must own as Zeke’s handcuff. Unfortunately players who’ve missed a bunch of the preseason too often suffer soft tissue injuries and Zeke owners need to protect themselves.

Denver Broncos

Philip Lindsay’s unexpected emergence as a top RB fantasy producer probably helped many fantasy teams reach the playoffs last season. He’ll likely get the majority of carries this season too, however, second year back Royce Freeman should also have a significant role in the Broncos offense. Freeman is more of a bruising type back, while at 5’8” and 190 pounds Lindsay doesn’t have the type of build that you expect from a RB who carries the ball 250 times in a season. Maybe they’ll join forces to form a thunder and lightning type of combination. Devontae Booker will also likely play his familiar role of third down pass catching back.

Detroit Lions

Kerryon Johnson will be the Lions’ primary early down back, however the presence of C.J. Anderson will cut into his workload and potentially reduce his goal line carries. How much remains to be seen, but with the Lions hoping to run the ball more this season, Johnson should have an opportunity to provide low end RB1production. The Lions love Ty Johnson’s explosive speed. Look for them to use him as a change of pace type back in order to help keep Kerryon Johnson healthy and fresh.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Jones is PFF’s highest graded RB over the past two seasons and is expected to be the Packers’ lead back. Jones has suffered three sprained MCL’s over the past two seasons so Jones’ shareholders will want to make sure to roster his handcuff, Jamaal Williams .

Houston Texans

Duke Johnson got a lot of fantasy love after he was traded to the Texans and Lamar Miller went down for the season due to a torn MCL and ACL. Johnson will have a substantial role in the Texans run game, but his forte is catching the ball out of the backfield. Think of him and Carlos Hyde as RB1A and RB1B with Hyde getting a steady but lean diet of carries per game.

Indianapolis Colts

Marlon Mack should have a fine season running behind a Colts offensive line that is ranked fifth best by PFF entering the 2019 season. Nyheim Hines will serve as the Colts’ pass catching third down option, a role that he was very good at last season. Once his foot injury is completely healed, Jordan Wilkins ’ overall skillset as both a runner and pass catcher makes him a good choice to be Mack’s handcuff.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Leonard Fournette assures us that he’s got his head screwed on straight, he’s going to stay in shape, and that he’s removed the “bad people” from his life. We hope he’s right because Fournette has enough talent to be one of the best RBs in football. Just in case he’s not, Fournette shareholders should try to grab a piece of his handcuff, Ryquell Armstead . Based on the Chiefs soft defense against RBs last season, Fournette could be in line for a big Week 1.

Kansas City Chiefs

Many wondered how Damien Williams , who has 183 regular season carries for his career, could be effective as a workhorse back. Apparently the Chiefs had the same concerns, and it caused them to sign LeSean McCoy . McCoy will definitely cut into Williams’ workload, but exactly what his role will be still remains to be seen. Rookie RB Darwin Thompson’s role will likely be reduced from what it was expected to be earlier in the preseason, but he still should snag some relevant snaps this season.

Los Angeles Chargers

Who knows if Melvin Gordon will carry the rock at all for the Chargers this season? Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will split time during Gordon’s absence. Ekeler will likely be the busier of the two due to his ability to both run with and catch the ball, however Jackson is the better goal line back and may steal some of Ekeler’s potential TD opportunities.

Los Angeles Rams

Todd Gurley ’s workload will be managed but he’ll still get enough opportunities to be a low end RB1 or better. He’s still the Rams’ lead back and when he’s on the field he’ll produce. Many assumed that rookie Darrell Henderson would be Gurley’s clear handcuff, but he had a disappointing preseason. Nonetheless his pass catching skills should at least allow him to have a regular role as the Rams’ third down back. Henderson would probably share some of the workload with Malcolm Brown should the Rams need to replace Gurley.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ website lists Kenyan Drake as their RB1 and Kalen Ballage as their RB2. The Dolphins project to be a very bad team this season and that should trickle down into their backfield. With the Dolphins expected to play from behind for much of the season, rushing opportunities may be at a minimum. Drake spent part of the preseason in a walking boot but if healthy, is the more complete back due to his ability to catch passes.

Minnesota Vikings

Dalvin Cook needs to stay healthy and he needs the Vikings offensive line to play better this season. If both happen Cook has potential upside which could allow him to provide close to top five fantasy RB production. With his injury history Cook shareholders to make sure to secure his handcuff Alexander Mattison by any means necessary. Cook has an excellent matchup against a Falcons D that was soft against the run and especially susceptible to RBs who are able to catch passes like Cook.

New England Patriots

As always seems to be the case there are lots of options when it comes to the Patriots backfield, but the two best are Sony Michel and James White . Tom Brady is the GOAT but he’s getting older and the Patriots have been running the ball more. When both were healthy last season Michel excelled in early down work and White was one of the most productive pass catching backs in football. James Develin can steal some of Michel’s goal line opportunities from time to time, but he has little to no fantasy value. Should Michel miss time, Damien Harris is probably the logical choice to take over his role based on his skillset.

New Orleans Saints

Alvin Kamara is obviously the dominant RB in the Saints backfield and don’t worry about the newly acquired Latavius Murray stealing some of his scoring opportunities. Kamara shared the backfield with Mark Ingram in 27 games over the past two seasons and still managed to score 25 TDs.

New York Giants

Saquon Barkley is a beast. If he misses time you shouldn’t really care who his handcuff is. It won’t matter. The Giants offensive line is a bit better but it’s still not that good.

New York Jets

Le’Veon Bell came into camp in great shape, but hasn’t played a single down of football since Christmas 2017. Ty Montgomery was impressive this preseason and is penciled in as Bell’s handcuff.

Oakland Raiders

With Josh Jacobs projected to be the lead back for the Raiders this season, Jalen Richard (did you realize he caught 68 passes last season?) will slip into his familiar third down role. Neither Richard nor DeAndre Washington stepped up and grabbed a lead back role for the Raiders when they could have in the past. Coach Jon Gruden hopes that the opportunity won’t present itself this season.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are notorious for using a RBBC, but don’t be surprised if Jordan Howard gets the majority of carries in the early part of the season. In the Eagles backfield anywhere from 10 to 12 carries constitutes a majority. From there, Darren Sproles , Corey Clement and Miles Sanders will likely each eat into each other’s work load to start the season. Should head coach Doug Pederson decide to eventually anoint a bell cow back in the instance that Howard goes down with an injury, it will likely be Sanders.

Pittsburgh Steelers

At the start of the preseason many thought that Benny Snell Jr. would be James Conner ’s handcuff. However, a poor preseason relegated Snell to RB3 status on the Steelers depth chart. Jaylen Samuel was very productive when filling in for Conner last season. Consider him a pass catching third down back option, as well as Conner’s handcuff.

San Francisco 49ers

It was a bit surprising to see Matt Breida listed as the 49ers’ RB1 to start the season even if we were provided with an “unofficial” team depth chart. Technically, Tevin Coleman is the 49ers third down back and Breida’s handcuff…for now, but his workload may be higher than most backups. This backfield will likely morph from week to week during the early going of the season with Raheem Mostert seeing a little bit of action as well.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks executed the highest percentage of run plays in the NFL last season, and they should run the ball a ton again this season. Chris Carson should get the majority of carries out of the Seahawks backfield, but Rashaad Penny ’s role will likely increase as the season progresses. There will probably be enough carries to go around so that both Carson and Penny will have fantasy value this season. Seahawks RBs have a very favorable matchup against the Bengals in Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No one among Peyton Barber , Ronald Jones and Dare Ogunbowale stepped up and distinguished themselves as a player worthy of lead back status this summer. For now it looks like a RBBC with Barber and Jones sharing some early down work and Ogunbowale adding some production as a third down back.

Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry finished the 2018 season with a bang, averaging 6.72 YPC over his last four games. He’s been dealing with a calf injury this preseason, but is expected to be active for Week 1. Fantasy owners are hoping that he can hit the ground running in the early part of the season. Dion Lewis ’ main fantasy value comes from his ability as a pass catcher.

Washington Redskins

Derrius Guice is healthy for Week 1. If he stays healthy Guice has a good chance to eventually emerge as the Redskins’ lead back this season. Keep in mind that Adrian Peterson isn’t going anywhere just yet. After all, he ran for 1042 yards last season and he should have a regular role in Washington’s backfield as well. Injuries may have sapped Chris Thompson of some of his speed, but his pass catching skills still keep him viable as a third down back.