why handcuff players?

[kickureface]

im in standard 8 man league, is handcuffing necessary? i have westbrook and got buckhalter last week. i noticed im not really goin to start him (had slaton, tomas jones and chris johnson <===now traded for matt forte). i also need the spot to add ppl for byes.

[RWLongy4]

Handcuffing in my experience is only necessary in the deeper leagues as most of the time you will be able to find more productive RBs than studs' backups. As you said in your 8 team league you don't really have a spot in your lineup for buckhalter because there is significantly better talent on your team.

[glackk]

Yeah what he said. Handcuffing seems popular in drafts when you don't really know who's going to break out this year so you take the safe pick. Once the year starts playing out, you see which players you can pick up and realistically start instead of having a handcuff taking up a roster spot.

[stomperrob]

Handcuffing in my experience is only necessary in the deeper leagues as most of the time you will be able to find more productive RBs than studs' backups. As you said in your 8 team league you don't really have a spot in your lineup for buckhalter because there is significantly better talent on your team.

I agree. I rarely draft handcuffs, prefer to grab extra starters. A lot of times NFL teams don't have a true backup RB if their starter goes down, they resort to a RBBC (running back by committee) strategy, so there is no handcuff on the team worth grabbing - either that or the backup just doesn't have anywhere near the skill set and value of the starter.

[marley972]

what do you guys mean by handcuffing?....i must of been sleeping that day in class

[glackk]

Handcuffing is grabbing the backup (usually RB) to a stud RB. For example, if you drafted LT, you grab Sproles in case LT gets hurt. It's insurance, but Sproles will be useless unless LT gets hurt, and that roster spot may be better filled with another starting RB instead.

[marley972]

Handcuffing is grabbing the backup (usually RB) to a stud RB. For example, if you drafted LT, you grab Sproles in case LT gets hurt. It's insurance, but Sproles will be useless unless LT gets hurt, and that roster spot may be better filled with another starting RB instead.

Roger That