As you get later and later in your fantasy football draft, you'll start looking for bench players who can make an impact, either right away or later in the season. And that brings us to running back "handcuffs," the term for the backup RBs who you can attach to a starter and benefit from both players or have a replacement ready if one goes down with an injury.
So we're ranking the ten most important handcuffs this year, with the note that not all of them are fully backups -- some may find their way into 1B roles to the 1A on the roster. Either way, they're worth queueing up and drafting in 2026.
Here's the list:
10. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Bhayshul Tuten is the top RB in Jacksonville (we think), but it's his backup who could end up with a ton of red zone work.
9. Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
We've seen some
flashes of starter-level talent from him. Will he have more of a share of the rushing work with D'Andre Swift?
8. Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
He took over in Carolina last year and now he might grab some work from Jaylen Warren.
7. Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers
A Mike McDaniel offense can support multiple running backs, and there's enough buzz surrounding Omarion Hampton's backup to roster him.
6. Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals
How healthy is Jeremiyah Love? Will the hapless Cardinals use him a ton in his rookie year? Allgeier could cut into his work more than you think.
5. RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
He may see the field more as a pass-catcher, but there's an opportunity for more especially if J.K. Dobbins goes down with an injury.
4. Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After a stellar run with the Steelers, Gainwell could be a big part of the run game in Tampa.
3. Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Is this a 1A/1B situation with Kyren Williams? That's what you're drafting to find out.
2. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Should this actually be TreVeyon Henderson? The fact that we can't tell means you take Stevenson and wonder if he's actually RB1 in New England.
1. MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers
Given what we don't know about how long Josh Jacobs will be out, Lloyd could be the starter for a while.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The top 10 fantasy football handcuffs for running backs to draft in 2026
