"Handcuffing" RB's in a RBBC?

[TimHauck 1,806]

How does everyone feel about this?

 

Seems like a good idea in theory...draft both guys and hope one becomes the true starter. I've tried it a couple times but it seems like more often than not I just end up with two borderline starters instead of one definite one.

 

Examples of this this year; Addai/Brown, Jacobs/Bradshaw, M. Bush/McFadden

 

IMO the only "true" handcuffs that I would definitely try to draft if I had the other guy would be Gerhart in Minnesota or Ringer in Tennessee, two guys who would probably get a majority of the carries if AP or CJ go down. These are guys you can get in the late rounds simply as a handcuff; some of the other guys mentioned you'd have to use higher picks on (but if they fell to me I wouldn't mind it). I think I'd probably just draft a bunch of different guys from all different teams and hope one of them breaks out.

 

Thoughts?

[pimptastic69 0]

I think handcuffing is dumb.

 

Wouldn't you normally draft 4-5 RBs? Just put one of those guys in if one of your top 2 guys get hurt. There's usually a reason that the backup guy is a backup.

[KSB2424 3,085]

It depends.

 

1.) The handcuff guy has to be talented

2.) My roster limits have to give me the flexiblity to own several RB's

3.) I don't "reach" for a guy just because he is a handcuff

 

If all those happen then I'll cuff a RB. If not then I won't.

 

[FeelingMN 273]

AD's handcuff now plays in Chicago.

 

 

To KSB's point, the cuff has to have talent....and from what I've seen/heard, Toby Gerhart has a ways to go. Drafting him is just a waste of a pick in my opinion.

 

I usually don't draft my handcuff...but will use a waiver on my cuff about midway through the season. This lets me stock up on talent during the draft....and if they pan out, I can use them as trade bait or to help my team through injury/byes.

[TimHauck 1,806]

I think handcuffing is dumb.

 

Wouldn't you normally draft 4-5 RBs? Just put one of those guys in if one of your top 2 guys get hurt. There's usually a reason that the backup guy is a backup.

 

Kind of agree. I just said I would take AP's or CJ's handcuff simply because if you use your 1st or 2nd overall pick on those guys it might not hurt to draft their backup really late in case they go down.

 

My main question wasn't really about "handcuffing" per se, but more about owning multiple running backs from the same team that are in some type of RBBC. Yes you probably wouldn't want to reach for them, but if you had Jacobs would you want Bradshaw as well?

[KSB2424 3,085]

Kind of agree. I just said I would take AP's or CJ's handcuff simply because if you use your 1st or 2nd overall pick on those guys it might not hurt to draft their backup really late in case they go down.

 

My main question wasn't really about "handcuffing" per se, but more about owning multiple running backs from the same team that are in some type of RBBC. Yes you probably wouldn't want to reach for them, but if you had Jacobs would you want Bradshaw as well?

There's no answer to your question.

 

Bradshaw has a little injury history so maybe you would want to handcuff him with a guy who has talent and has been productive before. But drafting Jacobs comes at a price (middle rounds). You could prolly get an actual starting RB like Caddy Williams at the same spot and I would rather do that.

 

It totally depends on all factors is the point. There is no hard and fast rule.

 

The good handcuffs in my opinion are the guys you an draft really late, that are young and/or talented, that could indeed pan out if your stud goes down. Scott from Cincy. Bell for Philly. Ringer for Tenn. Guys like that. Really cheap insurance.

 

Guys like Jacobs and DMC are expensive insurance.

 

[PATSSOX 22]

Ill get my handcuffs if the spot is right but only after i filled everything else. Not gonna reach for a handcuff. Its nice to be protected against injury but if your stud gets injured your probably screwed anyway and like someone else said they are a backup for a a reason. And im not gonna play thinking my guy is going to get hurt

 

But with that said after the bye weeks ill trade most of my depth just to get my back ups. But again if the stud gets hurt im probably done anyway.

[cheesesteaks 0]

I choose RBs in RBBC that I think will pan out and go with them hoping that 1 or 2 carry the load. For example I think Bradshaw is a better choice than Jacobs and sometimes i goin 1 round after Jacobs so I take the value there. I think Bush is a better RB than McFadden so I'm going with Bush there. However, I would not take Jacobs and Bradshaw since u can end up with 2 mediocre players.

[MDC 5,903]

I consider a "handcuff" a player you take a late round flyer on to defend your early round selection. If you draft Cedric Benson in the 2nd round then drafting Bernard Scott in the 13th or 14th round might be worth the pick, since you'll have someone to plug into the starter role if Benson goes down. It costs nothing and provides a little insurance.

 

Most of the examples in this thread aren't handcuffs, though. If you draft DWill in the 2nd then drafting Jonathan Stewart in the 3rd or 4th doesn't help you much, since you've now spent two high picks on players stuck in a near 50/50 RBBC. Similar situation with Jacobs and Bradshaw. Neither of these players come cheap and if you're spending a mid-round pick on a player you don't ever plan to start unless another RB gets injured, you're wasting your time.

[Dr Hook 6]

A few years ago I did MJD and Fragile Fred. I actually played them both many times in a game. Worked out pretty good that year. I do like taking a chance that the back up becomes the starter. I love to grab someone elses handcuff. Priest and LJ come to mind and it worked out very well that year.

 

Good Luck

[edjr 5,587]

The days of drafting Larry Johnson when Priest Holmes was the starter are long over.

[TimHauck 1,806]

I consider a "handcuff" a player you take a late round flyer on to defend your early round selection. If you draft Cedric Benson in the 2nd round then drafting Bernard Scott in the 13th or 14th round might be worth the pick, since you'll have someone to plug into the starter role if Benson goes down. It costs nothing and provides a little insurance.

 

Most of the examples in this thread aren't handcuffs, though. If you draft DWill in the 2nd then drafting Jonathan Stewart in the 3rd or 4th doesn't help you much, since you've now spent two high picks on players stuck in a near 50/50 RBBC. Similar situation with Jacobs and Bradshaw. Neither of these players come cheap and if you're spending a mid-round pick on a player you don't ever plan to start unless another RB gets injured, you're wasting your time.

 

I know, which is why I used quotes around the word handcuff. Of the ones you mentioned though, you can probably start both DWill and Stewart so that wouldn't be so bad.

 

If I got Jacobs maybe I'd see if getting Bradshaw was possible just because of Jacobs' injury history. But in most RBBC situations, such as Addai/Brown and Bush/McFadden I'd probably just pick the guy I thought would do better.

[MDC 5,903]

I know, which is why I used quotes around the word handcuff. Of the ones you mentioned though, you can probably start both DWill and Stewart so that wouldn't be so bad.

 

If I got Jacobs maybe I'd see if getting Bradshaw was possible just because of Jacobs' injury history. But in most RBBC situations, such as Addai/Brown and Bush/McFadden I'd probably just pick the guy I thought would do better.

 

You can probably start both DWill and Johnson, the problem is that unless one of them gets hurt you're spending two high picks on players who aren't going to get more than 250 or so rushes. So either you end up with two good but not great RBs, or one great RB and one injured RB. I don't think that's a really wise choice and I probably wouldn't draft DWill until the 3rd because of it.

 

Generally speaking I stay away from RBBC unless they're highly prolific (like Carolina) and the price is right, or unless I think one player is likely to outplay the other and eventually take over more of a #1 role.

[cheesesteaks 0]

Also consider value. For example Bradshaw is going 1 round after Jacobs and I think he will have equal value therefore Bradshaw would be my value pick. Same with Ricky since he is going almost 2 rounds after Ronnie Brown.

[TimHauck 1,806]

You can probably start both DWill and Johnson, the problem is that unless one of them gets hurt you're spending two high picks on players who aren't going to get more than 250 or so rushes. So either you end up with two good but not great RBs, or one great RB and one injured RB. I don't think that's a really wise choice and I probably wouldn't draft DWill until the 3rd because of it.

 

Generally speaking I stay away from RBBC unless they're highly prolific (like Carolina) and the price is right, or unless I think one player is likely to outplay the other and eventually take over more of a #1 role.

 

Starting both DWill and Stewart last year would've been fine by me.

 

Of course you try to stay away from RBBC's, but in today's game that's pretty hard to do. That said, I'd rather have a talented guy in a RBBC, like a Marion Barber, over a less-talented guy that's the "starter," like a Jerome Harrison. Yeah, he might be the starter now, but you don't really know how long that will last.

[longlurker 0]

It depends.

 

I wouldn't go with the handcuff in a true RBBC (DW3/Stewart, Jones/Charles, Barber/Choice/Jones) they will split carries nearly every game and keep each other somewhat fresh.

 

I would handcuff in situations like (Forte/Taylor, Greene/LT2, AP/his backup). In these cases and some others 1 back is going to get the first shot at the majority of the carries and the other will get the left overs. When the BellCow gets hurt his backup has a pretty good chance at doing well.

 

NOTE: I do not go into a draft thinking I need to handcuff rb's. If the time/place/price is right then I will.

[Corporal Punishment 0]

CJ/Ringer and ADP/Gerhart have been mentioned as possibly good handcuff situations (although Gerhart has yet to impress).

How about Turner/Snelling? Is this another true handcuff situation, or did Snelling's efforts last year mean he may be used as more than a backup, possibly vulturing some TDs, etc?

[lexdizzle 1]

Ill handcuff my top rbs only if the price is cheap enough and the backups are proven. This year in my early draft i got rice and moreno then in the last rounds i was able to get mcgahee and buckhalter. This was before they were hurt. But in theory i qould still have good rbs if my guys go down. In this league the gore owner picked up dixon a couple days ago after coffee retired so i picked up westbrook asap as trade bait ...

[longlurker 0]

CJ/Ringer and ADP/Gerhart have been mentioned as possibly good handcuff situations (although Gerhart has yet to impress).

How about Turner/Snelling? Is this another true handcuff situation, or did Snelling's efforts last year mean he may be used as more than a backup, possibly vulturing some TDs, etc?

 

I use RBBC as an insurance policy for injury, not td vulturing.

[Corporal Punishment 0]

I use RBBC as an insurance policy for injury, not td vulturing.

Yes, so do I.

So which is the case for Turner/Snelling this year?

[jaxjag 43]

I think handcuffing is dumb.

 

Wouldn't you normally draft 4-5 RBs? Just put one of those guys in if one of your top 2 guys get hurt. There's usually a reason that the backup guy is a backup.

 

In a 12 team league, that's 48-60 Running backs. Clearly, many of those guys are not starters. So, when it comes down to those late RB picks, do you take your own handcuff (backup) or someone else?

 

It comes down to talent and other variables, but often "handcuffing" is a good insurance policy.