As we head into Week 12 of the NFL season fantasy football managers are going to have to be on their toes as there’s a potential that more than one Fantasy Football Week 12 Running Back Handcuff could see significant playing time this week. 

One team looks like it might be using a timeshare in their backfield, and another appears to have reversed course and adjusted their RB depth chart just a week after elevating a former RB handcuff to lead RB status.

 

 

 

We’ve got a lot to cover in this week’s 2024 Week 12 RB Handcuff Report so let’s get started.    

Fantasy Football NFL Week 12 Running Back Handcuff Report

There were plenty of fantasy football managers who drafted Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb in the middle rounds of their preseason drafts even though they knew he’d start the season on the IR recuperating from a horrific knee injury that ended his 2023 season. 

The hope was that he’d return to action and give fantasy football teams a boost just in time for the fantasy football playoffs. Unfortunately, after four games Chubb is only averaging 3.1 YPC and has only scored one TD. 

In Week 11 he played a season low 30% of the Browns’ offensive snaps and even though he had 11 carries to Jerome Ford’s five, Ford played 56% of the team’s offensive snaps. The Browns were outscored by the New Orleans Saints 35-14, but Ford was playing more snaps than Chubb even before the game turned into a blowout. 

I still consider Chubb the Browns’ lead back and Ford as his Fantasy Football Week 12 Running Back Handcuff, but it will be interesting to note if this usage pattern persists going forward.

 

 

 

How To Find The Best RB Handcuffs

So, it looks like the Broncos are using a hot hand approach in their RB utilization. In Week 10, Audric Estime played 45% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps and had 14 carries while Javonte Williams had only one carry and played just 29% of the team’s offensive carries. 

In Week 11 Estime’s offensive snap percentage was 23% while Williams had a 52% offensive snap percentage. It seems that every once in a while, Broncos head coach Sean Payton feels the need to give Williams a wake-up call by threatening his job security. 

Payton had told the media that Estime would eventually have an increased role in the Broncos’ offense, but maybe it was just a ploy to get Williams to play harder. If it was, it worked, because Williams averaged 6.56 YPC and scored a TD in Week 12. I’m going to presume that Estime is Williams’ RB handcuff for now, but it’s a situation that needs to be monitored.

Keep an eye on the Las Vegas Raiders’ backfield ahead of Week 12. There’s a chance that both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White could be inactive due to injury. In a perfect world for fantasy football purposes rookie Dylan Laube, who fumbled his only carry of the season, would be the Raiders’ clear cut early down back and Ameer Abdullah would, as usual, be the team’s passing down back. 

Neither Abdullah or Laube are startable in fantasy in Week 12 but depending on how he plays this week Laube could end up as an RB handcuff, or even as the new Raiders’ lead back. 

The Kansas City Chiefs’ backfield is another that should be watched closely this week. Isiah Pacheco is expected to make his return to action after having been sidelined since Week 2 due to a knee injury, but his availability should be monitored as kickoff approaches. 

Chiefs RBs have a great matchup against the Carolina Panthers but if Pacheco is in fact active, we’re not sure if he’ll be on a snap count or not. Pacheco’s return also affects the startability of Kareem Hunt in Week 12 as well. 

This might be the week for fantasy football managers to watch the Chiefs RBs activity from the sidelines. Eventually Pacheco should resume his role as the Chiefs’ lead back with Hunt as his RB handcuff.

 

 

 

Top 5 RB Handcuffs Ahead Of NFL Week 12

Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears

D’Andre Swift is dealing with a groin injury, but the Bears are hopeful he’ll be able to suit up in Week 12. 

However, if Swift is inactive in Week 12, Johnson, who is his Fantasy Football Week 12 Running Back Handcuff, will likely be the Bears’ lead back against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings

Aaron Jones is dealing with a rib injury. He’s been able to play through it and hasn’t missed any practice time as this article is being written, but Jones’ snaps played percentage has hovered in the low 50% range over the past two weeks. 

It was just over 74% through the first seven games of the season. Akers played 37% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps, his highest rate since he joined the team in Week 7.

 

 

 

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard’s Fantasy Football Week 12 Running Back Handcuff, isn’t expected to play in Week 12 due to an ankle injury. 

With Brooks possibly making his long-awaited NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs this week, he should have a clear path to a few carries as Hubbard’s RB handcuff. 

Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers

His carries and offensive snaps played percentage decreased from Week 10, but Edwards was still effective as J.K. Dobbins’ handcuff in Week 12, gaining 4.5 YPC. 

The Chargers love to run the ball, and should Dobbins be unavailable, Edwards will have a significant role in their offense.

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals

It’s still James Conner’s backfield but Benson’s role has increased over the past two weeks, largely the result of the Cardinals having big leads in games. 

Nevertheless, Benson has been effective over those two weeks, averaging 5.5 YPC and scoring a rushing TD. Many expect his role to continue to increase as the season progresses.