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I don't play craps. I have in the past, but I realized it wasn't the game for me because I didn't have the stones to be the jabroni who bets on the "Don't Pass" line when it's clear the table has gone cold. Openly rooting for everyone else at the table to fail when we're all there, drinking the same watered-down Jack-and-Cokes just isn't my idea of fun. However, I have no such issues in fantasy football, where I'll do anything to give myself a dangerous, trade-ready roster coming out of the draft.

I know one of the main reasons people play fantasy football is to stay in touch with their friends or make new ones. It's a social game. The draft, the trading and the Sunday afternoon trash talk all foster that "community" feeling in leagues. But if you're trying to be popular while I'm trying to be strategic, I'm going to put your stuffed head over the Grand Theft Roto mantel by Thanksgiving.

Thus, once we stop making friends and start making observations, we see that for the owners of certain marquee running backs, getting that player's "handcuff" is a matter of fantasy survival. So if you are the type of person who loves to make trades, you can use that piece of information for laughs and leverage.

Three years ago, I first broached the idea of "Cuff-Blocking," which is when you grab another owner's key backup running back to set up a trade down the road.

The concept evolved from seeing owners on draft day wasting useful picks by grabbing their own running back's handcuff a round or two too early when a better runner's more attractive handcuff was still out there. You know when it just happened in your league because everyone else at the draft exhales and smiles because they've just been given a "free" pick.

Let's say you didn't get one of the top three draft slots, so in the first round you take Steven Jackson. Good pick. Love S-Jax like my 8-year-old daughter loves the Jonas Brothers. Fast-forward a half-dozen rounds. All the starting backs are off the board and most of the running back-by-committee members have been snapped up as well. With visions of Jackson's injury-plagued September and October in 2007, you start thinking about grabbing his backup. But is it Brian Leonard, who had only one passable game filling in for Jackson when he was down? Is it Antonio Pittman, who might get more time as a change-of-pace back? More importantly, if something happens to Jackson, will either one of them do anything with the increased playing time?

Instead of worrying about those questions, I'm all for freestyling a little and grabbing some other stud's handcuff. There's a good chance Leonard or Pittman or both will be around several rounds later, and if that's the case, you can get them then. But swiping another owner's crucial handcuff could reap you much more than the value of that midround pick. The key is to choose the right handcuff to target.

You're looking for two things in a potential Cuff-Blocking target:

First, he must be the clear heir apparent to a top-20 running back. So while Joseph Addai's owner may want to have a backup plan, the fact that both youngster Kenton Keith and the returning Dominic Rhodes could get a shot to fill in means there's no Cuff-Blocking in Indy.

Second, the handcuff you go after must actually have the potential to offer feature-back production if he ever receives feature-back touches. That rules out guys like the Chiefs' Kolby Smith or the Browns' Jason Wright, despite the fact both play behind guys who have some miles on their tires.

With that in mind, the task gets simpler. Adrian Peterson's owner absolutely needs Chester Taylor because he has proved he can be a top-20 producer if he takes over the gig full time. Anyone drafting Brian Westbrook will recall an injury or two in his past and realize that if he goes down, the Eagles' offense will lean heavily on either Correll Buckhalter or Lorenzo Booker, whichever wins the coveted No. 2 slot on Philly's depth chart.. And while he hasn't proved himself the way Michael Turner did, Darren Sproles has a special spot on the draft list of any prospective LaDainian Tomlinson owner.

As we get closer to the start of the regular season, other names may join this list. While people have various degrees of man crush on Ahmad Bradshaw, I believe it's Derrick Ward who will be Brandon Jacobs' "BFF" if he's completely healthy when camp starts. Let's not forget rookies like Rashard Mendenhall, who has outrageous buzz working right now as Fast Willie Parker's backup, and Felix Jones, who will understudy Marion Barber's first "solo" season. Will either be good? Not sure, but anyone taking Parker or Jones has to at least want them, if not need them.

Cuff-Blocking any of these players makes a lot more sense than grasping at your guy's unimpressive, unconfirmed backup. Then it's just a process of making contact with the owner who should've grabbed that player a round earlier and starting a dialogue. You can try to deal the handcuff quickly, before the season even starts, if the other guy is the nervous type. Look for armpit sweat stains at the draft or a tendency to sit any player who's even listed as "probable" for Week 1. In this case, you should look for a decent upgrade, like exchanging the handcuff for a running back who is splitting carries or maybe a better second wide receiver.

If you're the gambling type, however, you can wait until there's an injury, then rake the despondent owner over the coals. Believe me, if Peterson goes down for any length of time, the only way his owner's season isn't over is if he can trade for Taylor. So feel free to turn the screw on the guy.

As I said, Cuff-Blocking won't make you popular. It also isn't without risk. If the stud back whose cuff you've blocked stays healthy and productive all year long, his owner may not ever bite on the bait. Worse, if you have a few injuries early, you may find yourself needing to use that roster spot with someone who has immediate value, so don't start grabbing other people's backups until you feel you have yourself well covered.

Cuff-Blocking also isn't for everyone in every format. If your league requires only one starting back, most owners won't feel compelled to make sure they have depth. Also, if your league is so shallow that there are always interesting backs on the waiver wire, or if your fellow owners would rather trade bundt cake recipes than players, it's not worth trying. But for the rest of you, Cuff-Block with confidence, and remember, popularity fades. Fantasy football titles are forever.

Shawn Peters is a fantasy baseball, football and golf analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him by clicking here.