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In 2013, Bobby Rainey joined the likes of Julius Thomas and Keenan Allen as the top waiver wire pickups of the season. Rainey carried a heavy workload and accumulated 95.2 points over eight games as a starting running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but don’t expect his production to continue now that Doug Martin is back.
Martin is like the upgraded version of Rainey, which is why he gets to start over him. Although they have the same height and speed, Martin has about 20 pounds of muscle more than Rainey, which is why he’s nicknamed “The Muscle Hamster.” Martin is also less prone to fumbles and is a three-down back. There is absolutely no advantage over Martin that Rainey currently has, and Martin seems to have a hold of the reins for the entire season.
Martin will carry a heavy workload again this year. He averaged 23 carries per game last year before his injury, and had 14 total touches in one quarter of play in the last game of the season against the Buffalo Bills. He is even an early favorite to win the NFL‘s Comeback Player of the Year award due to his upside.
Unfortunately for Rainey, his fantasy stock is depleting as Martin gets healthier. The only way Rainey would be worth having is if Martin got injured again. He wouldn’t even be worth handcuffing due to the system that showcases Martin, so the best course of action would be to keep Rainey off of your fantasy football team for the time being.
