The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are obviously having a very tough season with a 0-6 record after losing to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night and with Doug Martin dealing with a shoulder injury that is now not season ending, fantasy owners should try a deal to buy low on the back and some options also could be Andre Ellington, CJ Spiller and James Starks.
Martin came down with the shoulder injury in the game against the Atlanta Falcons last week before the Thursday night game and while it was initially thought that it could be season ending, now it appears to not be as serious. Martin was having a solid season before missing the game on Thursday, but for fantasy owners not feeling so great about him, this is the chance for other teams to take advantage and that is why it is a good idea to try and buy low on Martin, as he could have a nice season if he heals up and on top of that, in keeper leagues he is a fantastic option.
Martin is ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards per game and yards in the league and while he has 456 this season on the ground, it's not quite on pace of what he had last season and fantasy owners lacking a running back would be wise to try and buy low on him. Martin finished his last game before getting injured with 47 yards on 11 carries and the previous three weeks he was very solid, rushing for over 45 yards in each game and that came after his best game of the season with 144 yards against the Saints. Martin is a tough runner and a very skilled pass catcher and he has good projections the rest of the season, but that's only if he is healthy.
Martin rushed for over 1,400 yards last season as a rookie and he had over 40 catches to give him over 1,800 total yards and he would be a steal if a fantasy owner wants to give him up. Martin could be out multiple weeks and that allows for someone to try and take advantage, especially if he was the main back for that team owner. Last season he played in all 16 games and had 49 receptions and this season he is way behind that pace with just 12 catches for 66 yards and zero touchdowns. The Buccaneers have been terrible, but he could at least help salvage a tough season for some fantasy owners and a deal probably wouldn't take much, especially because the team would be buying low on him.
Andre Ellington is a solid option, as he is a back on the rise and while he was limited last week, that was more about the Seahawks defense rather than the running back. This season he has continued to move up the depth chart and he has gotten more and more touches, including two weeks ago when he had 12 against the San Francisco 49ers and last week he had just three rushes for three yards and two catches, but he could be much more effective this week against the Atlanta Falcons.
Over the previous two weeks before the Seahawks, Ellington rushed for over 50 yards in each game and had at least four receptions and that should show that the Cardinals trust him in the passing game. Another player to involve could be James Starks, as he is banged up after playing in just three games, but he had 180 yards during that time and after practicing, he could play the next two weeks.
