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Fantasy Football Week 4 Projection: Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey

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By @vinnylanni

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A lot of Doug Martin  fantasy football owners probably ran to the waiver wire when he went down with an injury to grab his replacement Bobby Rainey. It’s not like Rainey was bad during his time as the No. 1 running back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; it’s just that the team’s offense is a mess and it looks like Martin is ready to reclaim his starting job.

Now that Martin is back in full swing, that puts owners in a tight position as to who if the best back to put in their lineup. Martin had a forgettable Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers and had about the same amount of yards as he did carries with 10.

When the team put in Rainey after Martin went down, he gave the offense a burst and was able to move the ball down the field. In Week 2, Rainey got the start and put up 144 rushing yards. However, when he got another chance in Week 3, the Buccaneers were dismantled by the Atlanta Falcons, so he really didn’t have the chance to prove his worth even though he still managed to put up 100 all-purpose yards in garbage time.

Tampa Bay travels to play the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, and they have given up an average of 5.5 yards to opposing running backs, so whoever gets the start should be in line for a big game. In Week 4, there will also be a new quarterback , Mike Glennon, who will have his chance to bring back life into the Bucs’ offense which has been terrible of late.

But with the new quarterback and the juicy matchup, what does that mean for owners interested in starting Rainey this week? Well, it all comes down to Martin and his health. If he plays in Week 4, then Rainey is nothing more than a solid handcuff, but if Martin can’t play, Rainey becomes a solid No. 2 running back in all fantasy leagues.

It’s going to be a game-day decision for owners who want to start Rainey in hope that he could continue his solid play, but if the team announces Martin as the starter, everything changes. Rainey is a great guy to hold onto in case Martin struggles or gets injured again, but if we’re talking Week 4 then it’s going to be hard to trust Rainey as anything more than a flex option in deep leagues.

Bobby Rainey Week 4 Projection: 5-7 carries 30-35 yards, 2 catches 20 yards.

Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.

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