2008 Fantasy Football Handcuff Picks

Fantasy Handcuff pick: A player with good potential and high risk. Players in this category are usually backups to high profile running backs. It is unlikely that they will score a lot of points, but if the starter goes down they'll be a safe start for at least a few weeks. It is important to draft these players to hedge the bet on your starting RB getting injured. From our Fantasy Football Dictionary

We have classified the following players as fantasy handcuff picks for 2008. We will be updating this list throughout the pre-season.

Name	Pos	Team	Age	Yrs Exp.	Pos. Rank
Ladell Betts	RB	WAS	28	6	RB - #45
Coming off his first career 1,000 yard season in 2006 (on the strength of a robust 4.7 yards per carry average) a lot was expected out of Betts last season, but he rarely got into a rhythm and fell back into his role as backup to Clinton Portis. The 5-11, 225 lb running back has the size to be a physical runner and soft hands to be a threat in the passing ... Read More
Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	NYG	22	1	RB - #34
Bradshaw was a 7th round pick by the Giants in 2007 and he didn't come along till late in the season, when the Giants' running backs were decimated with injuries. He didn't get his first carry until week 12 and scored his only touchdown of the season in week 16 on an 88 yard run against the Buffalo Bills. In the playoffs they used him more often and he p... Read More
Jamaal Charles	RB	KC	21	R	RB - #72
It would appear the backup running back position in Kansas City is up for grabs and the word on the street is the rookie out of Texas is impressing head coach Herm Edwards. Charles is probably the most talented of the three backs but his ability to play a full season and take an NFL beating is yet to be seen. To begin the season we'll probably see Jamaal returning kic... Read More
De'shaun Foster	RB	SF	28	5	RB - #64
With the DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart timeshare now underway in Carolina, Foster was cut loose into the waters of free agency and wound up as a 49er. Never an effective starter for the Panthers, Foster will serve as a solid plan B behind Frank Gore in San Francisco. Though Michael Robinson has shown considerable promise in the role, Foster is the more proven ... Read More
Brandon Jackson	RB	GB	22	1	RB - #61
Now that Ryan Grant has signed and that little distraction is taken care of, the battle is for the backup running back spot. Brandon Jackson rushed for 267 yards and one touchdown during his rookie campaign and began to show some potential. The problem is so did seventh-round draft pick DeShawn Wynn during his debut season. Wynn only played in seven games due to in... Read More
Fred Jackson	RB	BUF	27	2	RB - #65
When he was around, Fred Jackson did a pretty good job as Marshawn Lynch's back-up. In 58 carries, he rushed for 300 yards and also caught 22 passes for 190 yards. Obviously he is not going to put up numbers worthy of selection as long as Lynch is healthy, but Jackson is certainly necessary as a handcuff for Lynch. Jackson, who set a United Indoor Football League r... Read More
Kenton Keith	RB	IND	28	1	RB - #77
A product of the CFL, Keith established himself as a solid handcuff for Joseph Addai, rushing for 533 yards and 3 TD's while also adding 13 receptions for 77 yards and 1 TD last season. Keith was arrested in the offseason prompting Indianapolis to draft Michigan star Mike Hart and sign former Colt Dominic Rhodes the week following his arrest. Keith may be the most tal... Read More
Brian Leonard	RB	STL	24	1	RB - #59
Stephen Jackson owners will want some protection this season and, while Brian Leonard is a great all-around back who did a serviceable job filling in for Jackson last season, he may not remain the #2 option in St. Louis. Rams coaches would like to have Leonard on the field more often, but as a fullback this year (which might mean that backup tail duties will fall t... Read More
Deuce McAllister	RB	NO	29	7	RB - #92
Deuce McAllister enters the 2008 season hoping to be fully recovered from a torn ACL suffered during the 2007 season. If McAllister can prove that he is healthy in training camp, he will enter the season as the Saints' main backup running back and will steal carries from Reggie Bush. If he is truly healthy, he may split carries pretty evenly with Bush; while Bush will... Read More
Maurice Morris	RB	SEA	28	6	RB - #38
Morris could be a forgotten commodity in upcoming fantasy drafts. He's spent so long hiding in Shaun Alexander's shadow that most people outside of the Pacific Northwest don't know about him. Though he's liable to be in a time-share with Julius Jones, he thrived as a backup and sometime replacement for the previous supposed starter, Alexander. While Julius Jones wi... Read More
Sammy Morris	RB	NE	31	8	RB - #83
Sammy Morris was on his way to setting career highs in all categories before he went down with a season ending injury after week 6. Over the first 6 weeks of the season the Pats were basically splitting carries between Morris and Maroney. Morris had at least 10 carries and averaged 64 yards per game before his injury. Morris will never be a starting fanta... Read More
Jerious Norwood	RB	ATL	25	2	RB - #44
Jerious Norwood has the skills to be an NFL starting RB as his numbers over the past two seasons suggest (1,246 yards and 3 TD's on just 202 carries, averaging an incredible 6.2 yards per carry), but just hasn't had the opportunity to show he can be the full time starter in Atlanta. Norwood appeared poised to step into the starting role following the release of aging ... Read More
Adrian Peterson	RB	CHI	29	6	RB - #81
Although it is slowly appearing that Matt Forte may play second fiddle in Chicago to Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson (who has experience in many games over his 6 NFL seasons) will continue to battle with both younger RBs. Peterson played in every game last season, even having a 100 plus yard game during week 16. Peterson is a handcuff for any Chicago RB as he can fi... Read More
Antonio Pittman	RB	STL	22	1	RB - #97
Pittman was cut by the Saints in the pre-season after being beat out by Pierre Thomas in camp and signed with the Rams. Pittman rose through the Rams depth chart and eventually took over the #2 spot ahead of Brian Leonard. If Steven Jackson were to go down with an injury as he did last season, I would expect Pittman and Leonard to split carries in the Rams' backfield.... Read More
Dominic Rhodes	RB	IND	29	6	RB - #68
Rhodes was an integral part of the Indianapolis offense during their run to a Super Bowl Championship in 2006, but left Indy in favor of Oakland as a free agent signing a two year $7.5 million deal (believing he would inherit the starting job with the Raiders). Rhodes fell off of the fantasy radar in the black hole that was the Oakland Raiders' anemic offense last sea... Read More
Ray Rice	RB	BAL	21	R	RB - #47
The Ravens drafted for value with the selection of running back Ray Rice in the second round and the former Rutgers star is expected to be the primary backup for Willis McGahee. Now that McGahee has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Rice will see increased action in the preseason and that could lead to a larger role once the games count for real. R... Read More
Kolby Smith	RB	KC	23	1	RB - #53
When the 2007 season began Smith held little fantasy value to anyone other than LJ's owner. Unless something happened to LJ, Kolby would see limited action. As luck would have it, bad or good depending on whom you are I guess, LJ suffered a season ending foot injury in the Green Bay game and Kolby became the starting back. Over the next 8 weeks Smith would carry the b... Read More
Chester Taylor	RB	MIN	28	6	RB - #41
Chester Taylor enters the 2008 season as the backup to Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. Taylor is one of the league's best backup running backs and could fill in for Peterson if he were to go down with an injury. Fantasy owners who draft Adrian Peterson should make sure to handcuff him with Chester Taylor in the mid-to-later rounds. While Taylor stole some carries from P... Read More
Leon Washington	RB	NYJ	25	2	RB - #51
If you're thinking of drafting Thomas Jones, then you need to seriously consider drafting Washington. If Jones gets injured and is forced to miss a game or two, Washington will be the Jets' primary back. If there is anything I've learned over the years, it's that you can't have too many running backs. In 2006 when Leon was a rookie he carried the lion's share of the l... Read More
Ricky Williams	RB	MIA	31	9	RB - #32
If you plan to draft Brown it's probably a good idea to pick up Ricky. In the Dolphins opening pre-season game Williams was by far the best back in a Miami uniform. Ricky carried the ball just 5 times for 31 yards nearly half the Dolphins game totaling 64 rushing yards. To begin the season it's possible Williams and Brown may split carries. That's not good news for Br... Read More
Jason Wright	RB	CLE	26	3	RB - #69
Even if Jamal Lewis were to get hurt, does Jason Wright have the ability to be the team's full-time back? Wright had his best season of his career last year when he rushed for 277 yards on 60 carries and a touchdown. As the Browns figured out last year, he is a decent receiver out of the backfield and caught 24 passes for 233 yards. But even if Wright ended up star... Read More