Best 5 Veteran Dynasty Running Back Handcuffs To Target In 2024
Hey DNA Strand Crew in this article I'm going to give you five of my best Veteran Running Back Handcuff options to target either via trade or in your Dynasty Start Up Drafts this offseason. We all love to buy low and find value at the running back position in our dynasty leagues so let's dive in and get digging into some serious value for the 2024 season.
1. Ty Chandler RB Minnesota Vikings
Let's start out with Ty Chandler last year we seen Chandler take on the lead role in Minnesota about mid-season after Alexander Mattison's more than disappointing flop as the full-time starter. Chandler put up a solid 2023 campaign once he took the reins a bit as the guy starting around week 10 of last season posting a respectable 461 yards on the ground with 3 rushing touchdowns and a very impressive 4.5 yards a carry.
The future of the Vikings offense turned into a serious roller coaster this offseason losing their Franchise QB Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons and drafting the rookie quarterback out of Michigan JJ Mccarthy. Why is this relevant to Ty Chandler because I see the Vikings turning into more of a rushing style offense working off the run to try to set up play action to make their rookie quarterback as comfortable as possible. We know Mccarthy was more of a game managing play off the run style of quarterback in Michigan, so I see Kevin O'Connell implementing many of the same things which will include a heavy dose of the running game which will benefit Chandler in 2024.
We also seen the Vikings bring in former Divisional Foe Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones as the presumptive starter for the 2024 season. Jones we all know is a very talented running back no question about that and he is a better player than Ty Chandler in my opinion, but he is 29 Years old with a lot of tread on his legs. Aaron Jones we all know has had a tough time staying healthy throughout his career. He has only played 2 full seasons without some sort of injury throughout his career. Kevin O'Connell has stated he really likes Chandler a lot and he will be heavily involved not only in 2024 but going forward as well and judging by what we have seen from him last season I'm not surprised, and I do expect him to get more opportunities than what many think in 2024. Add all of these factors together I could see Chandler being a really nice value in 2024 and he is someone I love to have as a throw in piece when I’m making trades this off-season and I love getting him later in startups as well.
2. Tyler Allgeier RB Atlanta Falcons
We all know that this is Bijan Robinson's backfield in Atlanta but what happens if God forbid, he goes down with an injury? If that's the case than Allgeier steps into an Atlanta Falcons team that has stated, they are going to lean on the run heavily in 2024. We also have to remember Allgeier was a former 1000-yard rusher back in the 2022 season so he isn't chopped liver the guy has proven he is a capable runner in this league before and I'm confident he could do it again. That being said is there's a chance he may even get traded maybe to a running back needy team this year during sometime around the trade deadline I think there could be an outside chance that could happen. It's totally possible if a contending team has their starting running back go down, they could look to possibly acquire a player like Allgeier who has proven to be capable of handling the full load of an NFL backfield. Even if he stays in Atlanta, I could still see him getting some opportunities being more of a goal line short yardage guy that you could stream for touchdowns and could still put up solid high-end RB 3 numbers.
Last season Allgeier ranked 24th in Redzone touches with 37 for his limited role in 2023 that is fairly impressive. All this being said Allgeier for sure is strictly a handcuff but if something would happen to Bijan to where he misses some time there's no doubt in my mind Allgeier will still be productive and could be a valuable asset either as a trade piece you could leverage or as a depth running back that could help you through some injuries and fill a void nicely.
3. Jaylen Warren
Arthur Smith, Arthur Smith, Arthur Smith did I mention Arthur Smith? Look we all know Warren may be the best handcuff/starter fringe guy in the league we seen him and Najee Harris split serious time in 2023 but there are even more factors coming into play this season that could help Warren in 2024. Strating with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith we go back to the days when he was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee, we seen a heavy dose of the running game featuring Derrick Henry we all know he is a big-time advocate of running the football and with a revamped offensive line in Pittsburgh I think both Warren and Najee Harris could have really good years if everything comes together with this offense.
Another attribute that helps Warren is his receiving upside we have seen him seriously contribute to the dump off game in the past and now with the new signal callers under center for the Steelers in 2024 whether it be Russell Wilson or Justin Fields I think we see Warren and or Najee Harris really collect points in that department as well.
Lastly being a Steelers fan, I have seen it for myself there are times Warren is the more efficient runner he just is I could see him getting more opportunities as the season goes on in 2024 and we have to remember this a contract year for his fellow rushing mate Najee Harris. The Steelers did not pick up his 5th year option this offseason could we see Najee Harris possibly hold out? There's definitely a chance and if that happens whether it's a short hold out to where Harris may just miss training camp or worst yet some of the regular season itself this definitely could benefit Warren as well. He is someone I love getting later in startup drafts especially if I'm going the zero RB approach and he is definitely a guy to keep an eye on this offseason.
4. Zach Charbonnet RB Seattle Seahawks
This one I'm a little bit excited about that being said I have more of a gut feeling about this one and it can be a little sneakier than a lot of people are thinking heading into the 2024 season. We all know after many seasons in Seattle Pete Carroll is no longer the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks so were finally getting a whole new regime coming into Seattle which is exciting not knowing what to expect. They bring in new head coach Mike Macdonald formally the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens why does this matter? My big question is will Macdonald stick with the Raven tradition and play style will they run multiple backs sure possibly. We have seen the Ravens do this quite a bit over the years producing a great running style offense with many different backs being plugged and played and being effective in their system so will this benefit Charbonnet in 2024 I think it could.
Another thing to watch is Kenneth Walker's previous injury history he's a guy that has had some slight injury problems in the past couple seasons with the Seahawks. If this rears its ugly head again, we definitely should see a heavy dose of Charbonnet in 2024 and could he possibly leave his mark as a guy that will deserve more of roll going forward.
Kenneth Walker is no doubt the home run hitting big play type of back that excited many. He is a really impressive athlete that goes without saying but that being said he can be inefficient at times as well. Will this be a factor to where we see Zach Charbonnet a bit more in 2024, we possibly could given Macdonald's Baltimore's routes. We all know from watching the film as well that Charbonnet is a very effective pass catcher that also can handle pass protection duties as well. I think if we step back and look at everything as a whole with the new coaching staff coming in, the possible injuries to Walker, and a young back coming into year two with a lot of tread on his tires we could see Charbonnet definitely elevate himself as one of the best handcuff running back options heading into the 2024 season with some decent upside.
5.Rico Dowdle RB DAL
Out of all the guys we have talked about in this article this one could be one of my absolute favorite sneaky running back handcuffs I'm targeting this offseason. We all know the Cowboys resigned Ezekiel Elliot to a one-year deal to return to Dallas this offseason, and many think he may be the guy that's going to carry the load in 2024 but not so fast. First of all, Elliot is 28 years old and through his years in the NFL he has really been run into the ground touching the ball at an alarming high rate not just in Dallas but even going back to his days in college at Ohio State. Even if he comes out as the day one starter how much can we expect from him throughout the whole season though? Sure, he may be given a nice solid workload through the first few weeks but as the season wears on, I think we could see Zeke fade a bit so in steps Rico Dowdle possibly.
Dowdle has had some injuries back in 2021 and 2022, He finally stayed heathy in 2023 serving as the main backup to Tony Pollard. His 4.1 yards per carry were better than Pollard’s and Dowdle different times showed that he was capable of getting up field churning his leagues and driving the pile forward on many runs in 2023. Dowdle also showed off his impressive pass catching abilities and versatility in his game averaging over 8 yards a catch in 2023.
There's even a possibility to me that Dowdle could even earn the most touches once camp does open up, yes this still could be a committee in 2024 I'm not fully questioning that but if there's one guy in this Dallas running back room that could be a possible work horse to me it is Dowdle he's young enough, fresh enough, and has the size and pass catching ability to do it, so I wouldn't be surprised if he is a solid running back in 2024 and possibly puts up RB2 fantasy numbers in 2024. Then parlay that all with where he's being drafted in start ups' why not take a chance on a guy that could carve out a nice roll in a traditionally solid running style offense.
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