Insurance policies can be useful, at least for those things you think need insurance. But do you insure every item you own? What if your policy is unclear and you are unsure what kind of coverage you have even if you need to execute the policy?

This is the scenarios fantasy owners must consider when deciding whether to “handcuff” their primary running backs. Handcuffing is the popular practice of drafting the backup to a top RB you got in the early rounds. If your primary gets injured, then you already have the backup on your roster.

It sounds good in theory, but sometimes those cuffs are too expensive. Sometimes it is unclear who the backup is, and you guess wrong.

Sometimes there are more useful options available in the draft than a backup.

A good rule of thumb is to only handcuff those running backs who are the primary rushers and whose replacements will inherit the bulk of the load. If someone is in a committee backfield – like, say, Sony Michel – there is not ample reason to worry about handcuffing him. Should he get hurt, the workload likely would be divided among a number of players – James White, Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris. Similarly for Melvin Gordon — whose primary cuff should be Justin Jackson, though Austin Eckler’s role would increase as well.

To handcuff, you want a secure primary rusher with a secure backup – like Joe Mixon cuffed to Giovani Bernard or Aaron Jones to Jamaal Williams.

The Madman suggests, in a 12-team PPR league, targeting at least four RBs who you feel confident starting every week, thus avoiding the handcuff dilemma.

This normally means securing four in the first 6-8 rounds. Barring injury, you should have four guys you feel good about every week.

If your draft is, say, 20 rounds or more, handcuffing becomes more of a priority — because the lack of depth at the RB position will prompt owners in such deep leagues to take fliers on players who might be mired on the bench barring injury, meaning you need to grab backups for your RBs before other owners do.

The trouble with handcuffs is, you often don’t know who will be the actual cuff, and that cuff might not perform to expectations. For example, look at the Cowboys of recent years. Whether you thought the cuff to Ezekiel Elliot was Rod Smith, or Darren McFadden or Alfred Morris, it wasn’t clear.

Recently, many thought the Saints cuff for Mark Ingram was Adrian Peterson, but AP was traded midseason, which carved out a significant role for Alvin Kamara. Years prior, Tim Hightower surprised as a midseason sub for the Saints. Last year, drafters likely paired Denver rookie Royce Freeman with Devontea Booker, only to see Phillip Lindsay vault to the forefront.

You also don’t want to spend too much draft capital. Think, if you draft Todd Gurley in the first or second round, if you want to cuff him, you likely will have to spend a seventh- or eighth-round pick. In a similar draft range, we would prefer getting an RB with a clearer path to production, like Tarik Cohen or Freeman. Similarly, Rashaad Penny is an overpriced cuff for Chris Carson.

Those who do come at an acceptable cost would be Gordon cuff, Jackson, in the 12th round, Williams (to Jones) and Bernard (to Mixon) can be Jax even more cheaply. These are the types you should target to cuff, if you cuff at all.

Essentially, the lesson is this: Don’t handcuff yourself into handcuffing. It is a guessing game that often doesn’t pay out. And if you draft right in basic leagues, you shouldn’t need it anyway.