Fantasy Football Week 16 Running Back Handcuff Report: Kendre Miller, More
Welcome to the Week 16 Running Back Handcuff Report!
Unfortunately, the fantasy football community lost three fantasy football RBs due to injuries last week.
Fantasy Football NFL Week 16 Running Back Handcuff Report
Two of the three injuries are definitely season ending. The third is almost certainly fantasy football season ending, but there’s a tiny glimmer of hope that it is not season ending.
We’ll explain it all and cover additional RB handcuff related news that you need to know.
How To Find The Best RB Handcuffs
David Montgomery suffered what was at first thought to be a season ending MCL tear but as this article is being written he is seeking a third opinion and hasn’t been placed on the IR yet.
Montgomery is one-half of what has been a very successful Detroit Lions backfield this season. The Lions probably don’t even want to think about it, but Craig Reynolds is likely the next man up in their backfield and Gibbs’ RB handcuff should Gibbs be unavailable.
Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb’s 2025 season came to an end when he broke his foot in Week 15. Chubb didn’t make his season debut until Week 7 because he was recovering from a severe knee injury that he sustained last season. He got off to a slow start averaging just 2.96 YPC in his first six games, but seemed to be getting back on track.
In his last two games he had 20 carries and averaged 4.45 YPC. Chubb’s RB handcuff, Jerome Ford, will likely take over as the Browns’ lead back with Pierre Strong Jr. and D'Onta Foreman also in the mix for carries. Strong Jr. would likely be the next man up, and Ford’s RB handcuff, should Ford be unavailable.
Sincere McCormick suffered a season ending ankle injury just two weeks before taking over as the Las Vegas Raiders’ lead back. With Zamir White already on the IR, Alexander Mattison will likely be the team’s early down back. Ameer Abdullah will maintain his passing down back role.
Abdullah had seven catches for 58 yards, and a receiving TD last week, and is probably the Raiders’ RB who will have the most consistent fantasy football production moving forward. If Mattison becomes unavailable Abdullah would likely fill in as his RB handcuff, but the Raiders also have rookie RB Dylan Laube on their roster as well.
Kendre Miller, another RB handcuff, may get his chance to be the New Orleans Saints’ lead back in Week 16 depending on Alvin Kamara’s status. Kamara is dealing with a groin issue, and as this article is being written his status for Week 16 has yet to be determined.
In other Saints related news, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a former lead back and RB handcuff for the Kansas City Chiefs, has joined the team’s practice squad.
Los Angeles Chargers rookie RB Kimani Vidal has gone from being inactive from Week 10 to Week 12, to playing 67% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 15.
Even though he played more snaps (35) than Gus Edwards (14), Vidal clearly remains the Chargers’ primary passing down back. Edwards had eight carries compared to three for Vidal in Week 15.
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.