Running Back Handcuffs Update for Week 4: Ollie Gordon, Braelon Allen and More

NFL injuries continue to ravage fantasy rosters across the land, and they came for our running backs this week.

Let's take a look at the running back handcuff landscape and try stay ahead of our leaguemates should more RB1s fall in Week 4.

RB Handcuff Updates for Week 4

Ollie Gordon | RB | MIA

De'Von Achane's torn ACL is brutal news for fantasy managers who selected the dynamic 24-year-old in the second round. Achane's expectations had been tempered in Miami's plodding offense, but he still offered tremendous weekly upside.

In his stead, second-year man Ollie Gordon stepped in with 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus three catches on as many targets for another 14 yards. Gordon isn't a speedster like Achane and might cede passing work (or the RB1a role entirely) to Jaylen Wright, who was out with an injury. But it's safe to expect the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Gordon to eat up all the goal-line work in the short term.

Gordon won the Doak Walker Award as college football's top running back in 2023, then had a down year on a poor Oklahoma State team and fell to the sixth round in the NFL Draft. This year's struggling Miami offense doesn't offer a ton of room for blowup performances or efficiency in general, as Achane has averaged only 3.7 yards per carry after posting marks of 4.5 and 5.7 over the last two seasons. But Gordon's part-time work in Week 3 still amounted to 14.5 PPR points and an RB13 standing heading into Monday Night Football.

With Achane out for the year, Gordon and Wright are both worth FAAB investments, but keep in mind that their upside is limited in the Miami offense. The Dolphins spent a fourth-round pick on Wright a year after using a sixth on Gordon.

Braelon Allen | RB | NYJ

Braelon Allen should have already been rostered in deeper leagues as the clear handcuff to Breece Hall, who checked out of Week 3 with a quad injury that could cost him some time. Allen finished the day with four carries for 14 yards and three catches. Over the first two weeks of the season, Allen operated as the clear backup to Hall, handling 15 carries for 47 yards and punching in a short-yardage TD in Week 2.

Allen was a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin who suffered an MCL sprain in Week 4 of last season and missed the rest of the year. He's a terrifying bruiser at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds who didn't do a lot of passing game work in college but did catch 19 passes on 27 targets as an NFL rookie. Dwain McFarland notes in this week's Utilization Report that Allen's usage in the two-minute drill last week is a bullish sign.

The Jets offense is much improved with Geno Smith at the helm, and Allen would be a borderline RB2 with touchdown upside should Hall need a couple of weeks off.

Alvin Kamara | RB | NO, Kendre Miller | RB | NO

Travis Etienne is dealing with a hamstring injury that could cost him a game or more. The veteran free-agent signing was a boring accumulator for fantasy purposes, and his backups likely offer more of the same.

Alvin Kamara will get first crack at the gig, but Kendre Miller is the more explosive back—although he has been unable to play a full season through his first three years in the league due to injuries. In PPR leagues, Kamara is a decent flex play for Week 4, but Miller is an intriguing handcuff stash considering Kamara has dealt with injuries of his own in recent months.

More Running Back Handcuffs to Roster

Zach Charbonnet: Jadarian Price fumbled again and hit the doghouse, with Emanuel Wilson taking over in Week 3. We recommended snagging Wilson last week, but Charbonnet could reclaim a big part of the Seattle offense—including goal-line work—if his ACL recovery continues to go smoothly.
Woody Marks: Around 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues, but Marks scored on a goal-line carry in Week 3. If Marks and David Montgomery are rotating series and Marks gets to keep his goal-line work, he could push Monty for the team's RB1a role.
Kaleb Johnson: The second-year back intruded upon Marshawn Lloyd's workload in Week 3, albeit for a struggling Packers rushing game. It looks like Josh Jacobs will return in a month or so, but Llyod's hold on the lead role is tenuous at best.
Tyler Goodson: FantasyLife's Alex Cupps notes in this week's waiver wire rundown that Goodson has emerged as Javonte Williams' backup in Dallas—great work if you can get it.
AJ Dillon: Chuba Hubbard handled a massive workload with Jonathon Brooks on IR, with the veteran Dillon stepping into the RB2 role.
Jaylen Wright: See Ollie Gordon notes above. The injured second-year back is built much more in the mold of Achane than Gordon is. There's certainly a chance he could outplay Gordon once he returns from stinger and foot injuries.