Mike James is the running back replacement fantasy football owners should focus on in light of Doug Martin’s shoulder injury suffered on Sunday.
Martin left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game with the Atlanta Falcons early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and did not return. The Bucs fed James the ball a bunch in the third quarter, but they ran it less after they fell behind by two scores.
James’ final stats were 45 yards on 14 carries and 8 yards on 3 catches. Martin had been a big fantasy disappointment all year and only had one touchdown. I wouldn’t expect James to suddenly start lighting up the scoreboard, but he does offer the value of consistent carries in the future and the possibility of scoring if it looks like Martin will miss time. The other good news is that Tampa Bay’s offense has been moving under Mike Glennon and looks like it can put up some yards.
Keep your eye on the Bucs’ running back situation and Martin’s status before blowing a waiver priority on James, but keep in mind that he could be out a few weeks. The Bucs play the Carolina Panthers on Thursday and Bucs reporter Rick Stroud says Martin’s arm was in a sling after the game. X-rays reportedly showed Martin does not have a separation, but it would be hard to envision him playing in four days.
