Running Back Handcuffs Update for Week 6: Woody Marks to the Rescue

We didn't lose many relevant running backs last week, but some of our previous handcuff stashes are paying dividends in their (temporary) starting roles.

Let's take a look at the Week 6 running back handcuff situations to monitor.

RB Handcuff Updates for Week 6

Woody Marks | RB | HOU

Woody Marks is more highly owned than the handcuffs we typically recommend here, but he's a must-add in the 46% of Yahoo leagues where he's still available.

David Montgomery checked out of Houston's win over Tennessee with a groin injury early in the second quarter, leaving Marks with his biggest workload of the season. The second-year back played 84% of snaps and handled 60% of the rushing attempts with a 75% route rate. Marks finished with only 12.5 fantasy points (RB19), but there is plenty of upside here considering Marks scored in two previous contests with Montgomery active.

Coming out of USC, Marks was known for his pass-catching skills—expect Houston to lean on his three-down skill set for the 1-3 weeks Montgomery is likely to be out.

Dylan Sampson | RB | CLE, Raheim Sanders | RB | CLE, Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | CLE

News out of Cleveland sounded relatively positive a day after Quinshon Judkins left in the fourth quarter after reinjuring his surgically repaired ankle. Browns head coach Todd Monken says Judkins is day-to-day, but the walking boot he left the stadium in tells the tale.

In Judkins' stead, Raheim Sanders stepped into the lead-back role until he was injured himself. The last man standing might be former Bronco Jaleel McLaughlin, with second-year man Dylan Sampson working back from a Week 1 knee injury.

Sampson certainly has the most upside should Judkins miss enough time for him to return to game form. He's a 22-year-old former fourth-round pick who entered the league at 20 years old after leading Tennessee with 22 rushing scores as a true junior in 2024. Sampson is the preferred stash here pending any negative news about Judkins.

Dameon Pierce | RB | PHI

Like in Cleveland, we'll need to monitor the Eagles' practice reports this week to see if Saquon Barkley can return after missing Week 5 with a hamstring injury. The Eagles already lost RB2 Tank Bigsby for over a month after he stepped in for Barkley in Week 4. This week, RB3 Will Shipley didn't last a half, leaving with a serious foot injury in the second quarter.

Called up off the practice squad for Week 5, Dameon Pierce got his shot against a stout Jaguars run defense... and it did not go well. The 26-year-old managed just 14 rushing yards on 11 carries. Philly hosts Carolina in Week 6, and there's a chance Pierce falls into 15+ carries if Saquon doesn't make it back.

There's not much upside here, but Pierce did catch a couple of passes last week. With four teams on bye, he'd be a reasonable flex play for those desperate enough to read three paragraphs about him.

Zach Charbonnet | RB | SEA

We recommended stashing Zach Charbonnet last week as the fourth-year RB quickly works his way back from ACL surgery. Emanuel Wilson had another productive day as the Seahawks' RB1, turning 20 carries into 61 yards and a TD to go along with a couple of catches.

Still, the 27-year-old former UDFA doesn't offer the highest hurdle for Charbonnet to clear. Per Davis Mattek:

The answer is that they were the 2 worst RBs per EPA who played in Week https://t.co/9J1AkXYIbf
— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) October 12, 2026

With rookie Jadarian Price on IR, Charbonnet is a fine stash for those hoping he gets to tap Wilson on the shoulder and tell him coach said to hit the bench. Charbonnet scored 12 TDs last year while splitting work with Kenneth Walker.

More Running Back Handcuffs to Roster

Brian Robinson: Fell back to seven carries backing up Bijan Robinson after exploding for three TDs on TNF in Week 4. Massive contingent upside should Bijan miss time.
Samaje Perine: Looked better than Chase Brown this week en route to a 14-68-0 rushing line and two catches for 10 yards and a score (15.8 PPR points, RB11).
Kendre Miller: Outsnapped Alvin Kamara last week and scored a touchdown on 10 carries for 30 yards.
Kaelon Black: High-upside Christian McCaffrey handcuff.
Emmett Johnson: High-upside Kenneth Walker handcuff.
Ray Davis: High-upside James Cook handcuff.
Seth McGowan: The only RB handling carries behind Jonathan Taylor, although Tyler Warren snaked a goal-line TD last week.
Mike Washington: High-upside Ashton Jeanty handcuff who only got one carry last week while former sixth-rounder Dylan Laub handled four.