Fantasy Football Week 13 Running Back Handcuff Report: Braelon Allen & More
With a couple of RB handcuffs commanding big bucks on league waiver wires ahead of Thanksgiving Day weekend, deciding which RBs to start in Week 13 could be especially challenging for fantasy football managers. We also have a brand-new RB back to familiarize ourselves with this week.
He’s a relatively older rookie RB who made his presence felt in Week 12 and according to reports, he sincerely has a chance to have an expanded role in Week 13. We’ve got a lot to cover in this week’s Week 13 RB Handcuff Report.
Fantasy Football NFL Week 13 Running Back Handcuff Report
Sincere McCormick made his NFL debut for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 and while he only played eight snaps, he made the most of them by rushing for 33 yards on five carries and averaged 6.60 YPC.
McCormick is a former undrafted free agent who was activated off the Raiders’ practice squad due to injuries to Alexander Mattison and Zamir White ahead of the Raiders’ matchup against the Broncos in Week 12. Ameer Abdullah played 90 percent of the Raiders’ offensive snaps and had eight carries, averaging 3.5 YPC but he’s always been more of a pass catching back.
Raiders running backs have a very tough matchup against the Chiefs in Week 13, but it sounds like McCormick will be a bigger part of the Raiders’ offense and should at least be on your watch list. If Mattison and White are inactive in Week 13 McCormick should at least be Abdullah’s RB handcuff against the Chiefs.
How To Find The Best RB Handcuffs
Many fantasy managers who waited so long for Jonathon Brooks’ NFL debut were obviously disappointed when he only played five snaps and had just two carries against the Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps the Carolina Panthers are looking to ease him back into action or they didn’t want to expose him to the Chiefs’ elite run defense but for now, Chuba Hubbard looks like he’ll remain the team’s lead back.
Be patient, and don’t drop Brooks from your fantasy team. With Miles Sanders being placed on IR, Brooks is Hubbard’s RB handcuff and just one injury away from being the Panthers’ lead back.
With Los Angeles Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins suffering a knee sprain on Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens and expected to “miss some time”, Gus Edwards, his RB handcuff, will almost certainly take over lead duties as the teams’ early down back. Look for rookie RB Kimani Vidal to also have a larger role in the Chargers’ offense, especially on passing downs.
If Vidal isn’t available on your league's waiver wire, Hassan Haskins might be worth a speculative add. It seems like he’s been around the league a while, but he’s only 25 years old. He averaged 5.1 YPC in his college career and is a good pass catching back.
Top 3 RB Handcuffs Ahead of NFL Week 13
Braelon Allen, New York Jets
Breece Hall is dealing with knee soreness and missed practice time this week. There’s a chance he might not play and if he is inactive Allen would be the Jets’ lead back. He’d have a good matchup against the Seahawks, who have given up the seventh most rushing yards to RBs this season.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
There aren’t many RBs who’d be able to fill Saquon Barkley’s shoes should he miss time but based on the way the Eagles have been relying on the run this season, Gainwell should be considered one of the top RB handcuffs in fantasy football. He only has 47 carries this season but is averaging 4.66 YPC.
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders
We need to watch the Washington Commanders backfield very closely ahead of their matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13. Brian Robinson Jr., who missed Week 12 due to an ankle injury, has been practicing this week, but it’s looking like his RB handcuff, Austin Ekeler (concussion), will not be active in Week 13. If Ekeler is out, McNichols would be Robinson Jr.’s RB handcuff.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.