Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are without Doug Martin for what could be the rest of the season, fantasy football owners are in a scramble to grab someone worthy of a roster spot, and maybe even a start. Questions began immediately in regards to backup running back Mike James who figures to be the one back worth looking at now that Martin is out.
James, a rookie, showed potential in camp and in preseason. Obviously he is no where near the caliber of Martin, but he’ll get the majority of carries nonetheless.
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At 223 pounds, James is a big, tough runner and will at least be good for goal line carries — that is, assuming the Bucs make it down inside the 5-yard line at all in the near future. Without many open field moves, James will depend on his big frame and ability to shed tacklers for intermediate gains.
With Mike Glennon still getting acclimated to the offense, the Bucs cannot count on him to take over the game and absolutely stop running the ball despite a true playmaker. James is going to get the bulk of the carries and could be worth a pickup at this point. Going against an underrated defense in the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, though, won’t be an easy task.
The Panthers are allowing just over 84 rushing yards per game, good for 4th in the league. For James to get anything going, it might take a miracle. Like I said earlier, your best bet for James is that the Bucs somehow get inside the five or ten yard line and he gets some carries with hopes to score.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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