Gentlemen (ladies?), I’m here this week to talk to you about handcuffing.

Now before you get disgusted (or excited) and drop your sports section, you need to realize I’m not talking about metal shackles (although the combination of "fantasy" and "handcuffs" should guarantee more hits for the web version of this column). I’m talking about setting up your fantasy backfield to succeed, even if injury strikes.

Handcuffing, in fantasy football parlance, means assuring you select the backup to a runner you drafted earlier. For example, anyone who winds up with Priest Holmes in Round 1 would be wise to handcuff his K.C. backup Larry Johnson to that pick later. If you get Green Bay’s Ahman Green early, you should be looking for Najeh Davenport before others might consider him.

Or maybe you took San Fran’s Kevan Barlow as one of your starters, in which case you should just handcuff yourself to the bu[an error occurred while processing this directive]mper of a moving pickup. You get the point.

But those are the obvious ones, and although it doesn’t make sense to blindly go for the backup to every back you draft, there are plenty of other starters who should be tethered to a teammate.

I made the Rams’ Steven Jackson one of my three keepers in my first league to draft this year. I love his ability and the potential for scoring opportunities playing in that offense, but I also know he had only two games as a rookie last year where he carried more than 13 times and that he missed two games to injury. So, I went in planning to get Marshall Faulk and was able to wait until the top of Round 13 to do so.

If you pick Michael Bennett, injuries are more when than if. The Vikings’ starter has carried the ball 160 times total over the past two seasons and has never rushed more than 255 times in a season. Some might say to avoid the Minnesota backfield altogether, but I say just grab Mewelde Moore, who averaged 113 yards per game over a three-week stretch when he was Minnesota’s primary ball carrier last year as a rookie. When Bennett goes down, he might lose his job.

Speaking of injuries and taking jobs, if you’ve drafted already, someone probably took Tatum Bell in expectation of him starting in Denver. Of course, all reports right now are pointing to Mike Anderson being the favorite. Well, if you have either of these guys, you should have both right now. Based on the past few years in Denver, I’d be surprised if the same rusher plays all year. And I’d still bet on Bell producing more.

Production is something Houston has gotten from Domanick Davis in his two-year career, but Davis also missed three games with injuries in that span. Backup Jonathan Wells offered a couple of solid fantasy outings last year, but I’d handcuff 25-year-old rookie Vernand Morency if I were a Davis owner this year. Watch to make sure Morency beats out Tony Hollings for the No. 2 job, which I expect to happen.

What I don’t expect is Cedric Benson bulling his way into the Bears’ starting backfield right away. Negotiations don’t seem to be going well with the Chicago rookie, so if you drafted him already, go after Thomas Jones. Actually, now that Rex Grossman’s hurt again, if a Chicago back’s starting for you, go after a bottle of whiskey.

Make sure you share that stuff with the nearest Browns fan, though. Boy, is there anything to get excited about with that team this season? Will they improve under new coaching and management? Will they be similar to last year because of a dearth of talent? About all you can be sure of is that if you have either Lee Suggs or Reuben Droughns on your roster but not both, you’ll be frustrated.

Droughns was very good in the featured role in Denver last year, but that was Denver. Anyone heard from Olandis Gary lately? Suggs led the Browns in rushing in 2004 and finished with three straight 100-yard games, but he averaged 3.7 yards per carry for the year and has had injury problems.

I’d bet on Suggs keeping the starting job, but I’d be surprised if he lasts the whole season. At the very least, owning both players should give you more security. Then again, if you have any Brown in a prominent role, you may be securing seventh place.

Matt Schauf is handcuffed to this page every week. E-mail him at mschauf63@hotmail.com.