Should I handcuff my own running back or someone else's?
Handcuffing your own starter is usually safer because you directly protect your roster. Handcuffing another team's starter is a gamble that only pays off if that player gets hurt.
Handcuff Value
Handcuff value is the worth a fantasy football team gains from rostering a backup running back who would step in as the starter if the player ahead of him got hurt.
In fantasy football, a handcuff is a backup player—almost always a running back—you draft or add so you're covered if your starter goes down with an injury. Handcuff value is the benefit that backup provides. The clearest example is owning the backup to your own starter: if the starter gets hurt, you plug in the backup and keep production from that spot on your roster instead of scrambling on the waiver wire.
Handcuff value depends on a few things. The backup needs to be next in line for carries, not stuck in a committee or buried on the depth chart. He also needs to play in an offense that runs the ball enough for the starter's job to matter. A backup behind a workhorse running back on a run-heavy team has much more handcuff value than a third-stringer on a passing team.
Some managers also draft handcuffs to players they don't own, called 'handcuffing the league.' If that starter gets hurt, the backup instantly becomes valuable, and holding him gives you trade leverage or keeps a rival from picking him up. Handcuffs can also have standalone value in weeks when they vulture touchdowns or spell the starter, even without an injury.
Common questions
Which positions are worth handcuffing?
Running back is by far the most common because backups inherit a big share of carries. Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends are rarely handcuffed since their backups don't produce the same way.
When should I draft a handcuff?
Most managers grab handcuffs with late-round picks or off the waiver wire, since spending an early pick on a backup usually costs too much compared to a potential starter.
Related terms
Fanademy ranks every player by value over replacement under your league's scoring. The free top five at each position is public; the full board is $5 a month or $40 a year.
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