Week 5 Fantasy Football RB handcuff rankings feat. Trey Sermon and Antonio Gibson

Handcuff running backs in fantasy football are defined by not yet being starters for their NFL teams. They provide injury insurance for high-level starters on fantasy rosters, but the best ones also have a path to becoming a starter with their standalone. Here are the best ones to roster ahead of Week 5 of the 2024 season.

Top 5 handcuff RBs in Week 5 fantasy football

Week 5 RBs (GETTY)

#5. Braelon Allen

Braelon Allen has seen an increased role with the New York Jets recently as he has averaged 11 touches per game in the past three weeks. Breece Hall is still the starting running back, playing in more than 60% of the offensive snaps, but Allen has proven to be a useful piece of their offense. While he may not surpass Hall, he still carries standalone value.

#4. Trey Sermon

Trey Sermon has been lightly used in the 2024 fantasy football season with the Indianapolis Colts. That may change, at least in the short term, as Jonathan Taylor is reportedly dealing with an ankle injury. Sermon's fantasy outlook has significantly brightened as a result, and he should be rostered in most formats going forward.

#3. Chase Brown

Chase Brown set season-highs by playing in 40% of the offensive snaps and receiving 17 touches last week. He responded by finishing as the weekly RB5 in fantasy football. It also helped the Cincinnati Bengals earn their first win of the 2024 season, so Brown may have earned himself an expanded role going forward as he cuts into Zack Moss' workload.

#2. Antonio Gibson

Antonio Gibson has already seen his snap percentage increase in each of his four games with the New England Patriots, and that trend may continue going forward. The team is reportedly considering giving him an opportunity to take over as their starter as Rhamondre Stevenson continues to struggle. This makes him one of the best overall handcuffs to target in 2024 fantasy football.

#1. Bucky Irving

Bucky Irving continues to outperform Rachaad White due to his superior consistency with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has averaged more yards per carry and yards per touch this year, but White remains their starter. Their roles could realistically swap at some point in the season, but even if they don't, Irving's overall RB31 rankings still give him standalone value in fantasy football.