Running Back Handcuffs Update for Week 1: All Eyes on the Green Bay Backfield

It's never too early to start snatching up running back handcuffs in fantasy football. Of course, the high-upside RB hoarding begins in your fantasy draft, which is why Joe Metz already ran through the best backup running backs to draft in 2026.

Still, situations change quickly in the fantasy streets, so let's check in on the most important running back handcuffs and RB rooms to monitor heading into Week 1. We'll skip the Blake Corums and Treyveon Hendersons — legitimate fantasy starters in most leagues — and focus on the more ambiguous situations with just days to go before Week 1 kicks off on Wednesday.

Handcuff Running Backs to Monitor Ahead of Week 1

Chris Brooks | RB | GB
Kaleb Johnson | RB | GB

It's certainly a choice to begin a fantasy article by touting a guy whose ESPN page still shows college highlights and a Round 3 pick who couldn't get on the field as a rookie and was traded a year later. But that's what makes a sneaky investment in the Green Bay Packers backfield so fun. What the heck is going to happen here?

Marshawn Lloyd clearly has first dibs on Josh Jacobs' former role. And he looks the part for anyone who remembers seeing him play football for more than a couple of games at a time. Lloyd has dealt with a litany of soft-tissue injuries since tearing his ACL in college. The 2024 Round 3 pick was hurt in his first game as a rookie, missing nearly two entire seasons. He's back, healthy and apparently in line for a significant Week 1 role.

With Jacobs MIA, Lloyd's ADP has climbed into the ninth round over the past week. That's a fine price to pay for a potential Jacobs replacement. But if/when Lloyd goes down, will the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Chris Brooks take over? Brooks was hardly a pass-catcher during his five seasons at Cal and BYU. Or will Kaleb Johnson get a shot after scoring 21 touchdowns on the ground as a junior at Iowa and then being jettisoned from Pittsburgh?

Jacob's court case is moving along quickly, but this is a situation to heavily monitor Week 1. My lean is Johnson, considering the draft and trade capital already invested in him.

Ray Davis | RB | BUF , Tank Bigsby | RB | PHI, Malik Davis | RB | DAL

Ray Davis, Tank Bigsby and Malik Davis are the highest-upside RB handcuffs available in most home leagues. Things they share in common: awesome offenses, legitimate skills, clear-cut RB2 status.

Ray Davis probably has the most upside: The 2024 fourth-round pick out of Kentucky averaged 4.7 yards a pop last season over 58 carries and is one James Cook injury away from a gig that produced 12 rushing scores last year.

Malik Davis turned 20 carries into 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 17 last year and would likely inherit Javonte Williams' job in case of injury. Williams finished as the RB12 last season with minimal passing work thanks to the Cowboys' excellent offense and bottom-tier defense.

Bigsby has flashed in real life and in PFF grading over the years. He's still 24 years old and a former third-round pick for whom the Eagles traded last offseason. The Eagles offer one of the more robust running games in the league, with or without the tush push siphoning goal-line work.

Kenneth Gainwell | RB | TB, Chris Rodriguez | RB | JAX

Kenneth Gainwell and Chris Rodriguez are startable flex plays who could end up being massive parts of their offenses. Gainwell showed last season that he can be a fantasy force, posting an RB16 finish last season as part of a timeshare in Pittsburgh. The enigmatic Bucky Irving appears to be back in the coaching staff's good graces, but the team is paying Gainwell $14 million over two years in case things don't work out.

Rodriguez has done considerably less but was signed by his former college coach in Liam Cohen to join a backfield that lost lead man Travis Etienne. He doesn't have any pass-catching chops but is a major concern for Bayshul Tuten drafters, for what it's worth.

Brian Robinson | RB | ATL, Tyler Allgeier | RB | PHX

Brian Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are boring, proven dudes backing up fantasy studs on bad teams. Each would dominate goal-line usage if anything were to happen to starters Bijan Robinson or Jeremiyah Love.

They won't command a ton of draft capital but would be in high demand in case of injury, which Love has already flirted with.

Emmet Johnson | RB | KC, Kaelon Black | RB | SF. Mike Washington | RB | LV

Lightly drafted rookies are fun, but teams often lean on veterans and retreads before turning over fantasy-relevant roles to inexperienced, Day-3 players. Washington did flash during the preseason—his college production was suspect, but he showed out at the combine.

Black appears to have jumped Jordan James on the 49ers depth chart, meaning he's one Christian McCaffrey hammy away from must-start status. CMC reportedly did not participate in drills on Monday, suggesting something might already be up with him.

Johnson turned heads in Chiefs camp as a fifth-round pick out of Nebraska. Kenneth Walker is not exactly the most durable RB to work behind, making the rookie a sneaky hold through the early weeks.