When to Handcuff your #1 RB... (1 Viewer)

[pack66]

I'm considering taking Arian Foster with my first pick and trying to pick up Tate as a handcuff. Just wondering where people are seeing Tate go so far this year as well as other handcuffs.

thanks.

 

[pittstownkiller]

Hand-cuffing has a lot to do with roster spots, the quality of the back-up, the quality of the O-line, and the quality of the other options available. I would not burn a high pick on Tate because there is some question on who is the back-up to Foster and you could probably fill out your roster with as good as if not better options in almost every round that matters. I would not put much extra value on Tate as far as hand-cuffing is concerned. BTW, this should be in the AC forum.

 

[Insein]

I grabbed Tate in the 10th. He's more valuable to me as a Foster owner than to others. He probably would have lasted to the 12th or 13th but I didn't want to risk it.

 

[lazyike]

Quite variable depending on the handcuff. McFadden owners will need to grab Bush earlier than a Gore owner needs to grab Hunter in redraft leagues.Last night the Mcfadden owner too k bush in the 9th round. Foolishly the Gore owner didn't take Hunter and he is still on the waiver wire. As a Best owner I was able to get Harrison in the 16th round

 

[LawFitz]

Base your strategy on when to grab that cuff using two primary factors:

1. Quality of the offense

2. Quality of the handcuff

And these additional factors:

3. Perceived durability of the starter

4. Your investment in the starter & other back up options on other teams

5. Scoring format & relative value and scarcity of the position

6. Draft tendencies of your league

 

[DoubleG]

Base your strategy on when to grab that cuff using two primary factors:

1. Quality of the offense

2. Quality of the handcuff

And these additional factors:

3. Perceived durability of the starter

4. Your investment in the starter & other back up options on other teams

5. Scoring format & relative value and scarcity of the position

6. Draft tendencies of your league

I would put the bolded near the bottom of the list (if not off it completely). Unless the starter has a major injury (i.e. is definately out for significant time), often the handcuff is useless. Even if you have Tate, for example, if Foster is the dreaded "GTD", you likely start someone else, not being sure who to go with. Many times, guys who "tweak" something try to go anyway (think Gates last season - very rarely was he definitively out)Those "major injuries" (the one's where you are starting the handcuff with confidence) have nothing to do with being "injury prone" and often just flukes.

All of that said, I think the primary criteria for handcuffing is "Can the handcuff put up similar or at least reasonable (read "startable at his position") numbers if the starter goes down to MAJOR injury?" The above example withstanding, I WOULD grab Tate late for that reason (and also Barber in Chicago). I would also steer clear of Gerhart, the guys in Clevland, C. Taylor, and many others - for the same reason.