Who is Darrell Henderson’s handcuff? It’s an important answer to know if the LA Rams running back is on your fantasy football roster. The answer is pretty straightforward although you always want to have situational clarity.
Darrell Henderson’s handcuff is Sony Michel. Of course, you should also remember that Henderson is in fact a handcuff himself. He was thrust into a starting role due to Cam Akers’ injury. However, Henderson has done well, scoring 14 or more points in five of his six starts this season. The Memphis product did miss week 3 and there are concerns about if he can make it through the season healthy.
This brings us to Michel. He got the start in week 3 when Henderson when down and also played 34 percent of the Rams snaps in week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks when the starter was dealing with an injury throughout the game.
Things get bleak beyond Michel on the Rams’ depth chart as Buddy Howell is third string at the moment. The journeyman had a total of 21 carries in three seasons for the Houston Texans before moving to Los Angeles. Javian Hawkins is currently on the practice squad.
Jake Funk and Xavier Jones were expected to be in the mix for carries this season, but both suffered major injuries that have ruled them out for the rest of the year.
Related: How does Javonte Williams compare to other RBs taken with the 35th pick in the NFL Draft?
Is Darrell Henderson’s handcuff worth stashing?
While Darrell Henderson’s direct handcuff isn’t on the radar, there is a case to be made for keeping Sony Michel on your roster. For starters, he had 23 touches in the one game Henderson missed and managed 79 yards against Tampa Bay’s stout run defense.
Michel would be an instant RB1 if Henderson was injured because of volume alone. No one else on the Rams’ roster would challenge him for touches which gives him more upside than other backups.
There is also some potential for Michel as a low-end, bye week fill-in. He has received nine or more touches in three of the six games Henderson has started in 2021. It’s a scary floor, but you could do a lot worse in a pinch. His ownership is less than 50 percent on most major fantasy football platforms.
