If you have a chance at the playoffs, you know your established starters

With the fantasy playoffs coming and the byes over Joe Namath Jersey , it's time for your waiver wire approach to change.No longer are you stashing players for future impact.. Unless injuries strike, you don't want to take a player off of waivers and slide him right into your lineup.It's also time to clear out guys you won't ever start in favor of depth. If you are not going to use mediocre or unreliable players like Frank Gore or Michael Crabtree, cut them loose. What you need now is insurance at the all-important running back position. It's the only position where your top player can suffer an injury and the backup becomes immediately relevant. You should be rostering the top NFL backups of your starting running backs if they are available. If your starting running back gets injured, you will not have to fight for his services on the waiver wire If you add him now.This approach, however, does not work at other positions. Backup NFL QBs are usually not the types you will want to start at all in fantasy, and the position is deep in one-QB leagues anyway. When a No. 1 NFL WR is injured, the No. 2 guy on the team is often already rostered if he is fantasy relevant. So focus on the preventative measures at RB for your playoff push.In some cases Nolan Cromwell Jersey Salute to Service , such as New Orleans or the Chargers, two RBs are already useful and widely owned. Otherwise, here is a quick rundown of who you need to add or own as the handcuffs to your starting RBs if applicable. The backup to add is in parentheses. We list situations where the handcuff is clear, possibly unowned and the starter is usually or often a regular and important part of your lineup, even as a flex. Even if the backup is nowhere near as talented or productive as the current starter, an opportunity for adequate statistical output will be there if the starter gets injured.Rams: Todd Gurley (Malcolm Brown)Giants: Saquon Barkley (Wayne Gallman)Chiefs: Kareem Hunt (Spencer Ware)Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (Rod Smith)Panthers: Christian McCaffrey (Cameron Artis-Payne)Steelers: James Conner (Jaylen Samuels)Bengals: Joe Mixon (Giovani Bernard)Broncos: Phillip Lindsay (Royce Freeman)Patriots: James White/Sony Michel (Rex Burkhead)Cardinals: David Johnson (Chase Edmonds)Packers: Aaron Jones (Jamaal Williams)Texans: Lamar Miller (Alfred Blue)Seahawks: Chris Carson (Mike Davis)Redskins: Adrian Peterson (Kapri Bibbs)Falcons: Tevin Coleman (Ito Smith)Of course, that does not mean there are not any other adds to be made off waivers this week. There are indeed a few who have become relevant mostly because of injuries. Of the backup RBs listed above, Burkhead, who just came off injured reserve for New England Jacob McQuaide Jersey , could fill in as either a runner if Sony Michel gets hurt again or as a receiver if James White goes down. Burkhead is only owned in 8.8 percent of leagues.Lions RB LeGarrette Blount (18.5) rushed for 88 yards and two TDs on Thanksgiving against the Bears defense, one of the best units against the run in the league. It is unclear when Kerryon Johnson may return from a knee injury and Blount has proven he is not quite done yet.Jaguars RB Carlos Hyde (38.8) could get significant work this week against the Colts with Leonard Fournette suspended for a week. In the same game, versatile Colts rookie RB Nyheim Hines (29.9) will be in line for quality duty if Marlon Mack is out with a concussion. He'll be a respectable flex play in point-per-reception leagues.Tampa Bay WR Adam Humphries (28.2) is somehow being ignored in many leagues despite 26 catches and four touchdowns in his past five games. With some other WRs like Marques Valdes-Scantling and Golden Tate disappointing recently, Humphries can plug a hole if you need it.At tight end, Jonnu Smith (5.5) had a 61-yard TD reception on Monday night and has scored in three of his past four games. Jets rookie Chris Herndon (9.9) has double figure PPR totals in four of his past six games and is deserving of regular starting consideration. The Chargers had struggled with their pass rush and keeping opponents out of the end zone in their first four games.But Los Angeles is hoping that Sunday's 26-10 victory over Oakland signals a change for the rest of the season.The Chargers sacked the Raiders' Derek Carr three times and allowed only one touchdown. They had allowed the fifth-most points in the league and were ranked in the bottom half of the league in sacks and quarterback pressures after the first quarter of the season."A game like that should give them a lot of confidence. Our defense is getting better," coach Anthony Lynn said Monday.The Chargers (3-2) have not been at full strength defensively all season, but they are starting to get some valuable players back. Defensive tackle Corey Liuget returned from his four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers, which helped free up the number of times that Melvin Ingram was double-teamed.Ingram, who struggled during the first three games Authentic Johnny Hekker Jersey , has played better in the past two. Ingram tied for the team lead in tackles with seven along with a sack and his first regular-season interception.Philip Rivers and the offense converted both Raiders' turnovers into touchdowns."If we can create turnovers and get our offense the ball, we got one of the most high-powered offenses in this league, so we are trying to get them the ball every time we can," Ingram said.Another reason for the Chargers' success against the Raiders was that they were stingy on third down. They came into the Oakland game allowing the fourth-highest conversion rate on third down (46.8 percent), but the Raiders converted just one of six during the first half and four of 11 for the game.One area where the Chargers have done well the first five weeks is stopping the run. Oakland's Marshawn Lynch came into the game fourth in the league in rushing, but was held to 31 yards on nine carries.Los Angeles has allowed only 100-yard rusher all season (the Rams' Todd Gurley) despite also facing Kansas City's Kareem Hunt, Buffalo's LeSean McCoy and San Francisco's Matt Breida. Six running backs went over the century mark against the Chargers last season, including Hunt twice.They will face a big challenge this week against Cleveland (2-2-1), which is No. 2 in the league in rushing offense with Carlos Hyde Limited Lamarcus Joyner Jersey Salute to Service , Nick Chubb and mobile quarterback Baker Mayfield.Lynn said that defensive end Joey Bosa, who has missed all five games because of a foot injury, could practice this week in a limited capacity. Even if Bosa isn't back until after the Oct. 28 bye week, Lynn is seeing his unit make more progress in making plays without Bosa."We're starting to get more comfortable with the different schemes we are doing," Lynn said. "We are doing some different things with coverages and also bringing different people on blitzes."NOTES: Lynn said that Caleb Sturgis will be the kicker against the Browns despite missing his fourth extra point on Sunday. Sturgis is likely to remain the kicker for at least two more games, but needs to gain consistency if he is going to keep his job. ... Right tackle Joe Barksdale could return to practice this week but will be limited. Barksdale has missed the past four games after suffering a knee injury in the Sept. 9 opener against Kansas City.Follow Joe Reedy at s://joereedy