The fantasy football season is getting very close and as fantasy owners start drafting teams, some players will need to be handcuffed to others to get maximum points and nowhere more clear is that than at running back, where Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce could be the best duo in the league.
Chris Burke at SI.com looks at some of the best running back handcuffs and backfields in the league and he set it by tier, with names like the Vikings, Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers coming in at the top. Running backs need handcuffs in fantasy due to injuries and splits with carries and some players, including Arian Foster owners, absolutely need a handcuff to ensure that they aren't screwed for the season if he is injured.
The first tier for Burke includes some strong running teams, including names like Adrian Peterson with Toby Gerhart, Arian Foster with Ben Tate, as well as Frank Gore with Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James. Peterson likely will be the top scorer this season in fantasy and while Gerhart may not get in much, it is good for owners to pick him up.
The Patriots have four solid running backs in Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden, while the Falcons now have Steve Jackson ahead of Jacquizz Rodgers and that could be a very productive duo. The Eagles could put up some big numbers with Chip Kelly and the Bills could also go off with Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller.
From SI.com:
1. Baltimore Ravens (Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce; FB Vonta Leach)
2. Houston Texans (Arian Foster, Ben Tate; FB Greg Jones)
3. Minnesota Vikings (Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart; FB Jerome Felton)
4. Seattle Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch, Christine Michael, Robert Turbin; FB Michael Robinson)
5. San Francisco 49ers (Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James; FB Bruce Miller)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Doug Martin, Brian Leonard; FB Erik Lorig)
7. New England Patriots (Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount)
8. Atlanta Falcons (Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown)
10. Buffalo Bills (C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson)
11. Chicago Bears (Matt Forte, Michael Bush)
12. New Orleans Saints (Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles)
13. Tennessee Titans (Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene; FB Craig Stevens)
14. Kansas City Chiefs (Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis)
15. New York Giants (David Wilson, Andre Brown; FB Henry Hynoski)
16. Detroit Lions (Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Mikel Leshoure)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Giovani Bernard)
18. Cleveland Browns (Trent Richardson, Brandon Jackson)
19. Washington Redskins (Alfred Morris, Roy Helu; FB Darrel Young)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Forsett, Denard Robinson)
21. Indianapolis Colts (Ahmad Bradshaw, Vick Ballard; FB Stanley Havili)
22. Dallas Cowboys (DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar)
23. Oakland Raiders (Darren McFadden, Rashad Jennings; FB Marcel Reece)
24. San Diego Chargers (Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead; FB LeRon McClain)
25. Denver Broncos (Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman, Knowshon Moreno)
26. Carolina Panthers (Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams; FB Mike Tolbert)
27. Green Bay Packers (Eddie Lacy, James Starks, Jonathan Franklin; FB John Kuhn)
28. Miami Dolphins (Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas; FB Evan Rodriguez)
29. Pittsburgh Steelers (Le'Veon Bell, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer; FB Will Johnson)
30. St. Louis Rams (Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, Zac Stacy)
31. Arizona Cardinals (Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Williams, Stepfan Taylor)
32. New York Jets (Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell; FB Tommy Bohanon)