Week 10 vs. Dallas
Doug Martin was a bust last week. He was projected to do well against a bad Giants defense, but only managed 43 total yards with no scores. He'll try to bounce back this week against a Cowboys defense that has allowed the second-most points to opposing backs this season.
Dallas doesn't have a particularly bad defense, but they have allowed a lot of receptions and receiving yards to backs. In fact, they've allowed the third-most receiving yards to running backs this season. Martin should be viewed as a RB1 option this week in a positive matchup.
Week 9 vs. New York Giants
Doug Martin is fifth in rushing yards per game (84.7) this season and continues to perform well. He doesn't have many touchdowns, but he's still be amongst the best fantasy options at his position. He gets a good matchup this week against a Giants defense that has struggled to stop anything all season. The G-Men have allowed over 100 yards to backs in four consecutive games. Martin should be viewed as a strong RB1 play.
Week 8 vs. Atlanta
Doug Martin is having an incredible season so far and has really turned it on lately. He's averaging 157 total yards in his last three games with four touchdowns scored.
He'll face a Falcons defense this week that hasn't allowed many rushing yards to backs this season. Atlanta is allowing just 78.6 rushing yards per game, which is second-best in the NFL. However, backs have scored 11 touchdowns against them (highest in the league) and caught a league-leading 58 passes against them. Martin's hot streak will likely continue and he should be viewed as a RB1 against Atlanta.
Week 7 at Washington
Doug Martin headed into the Week 6 bye with a three-touchdown performance. He had nearly 160 yards in Week 5 to go along with those scores. It looks like Martin is finally back to his rookie self after a few struggling seasons.
He'll face a Redskins defense this week that has been gouged by opposing backs in their last two games. Washington gave up 197 total yards to Devonta Freeman and 196 yards to Chris Ivory. Martin can certainly follow in their footsteps. The Tampa runner should be viewed as a low-end RB1.
Week 5 vs. Jacksonville
Doug Martin exploded last week with 106 rushing yards and 37 receiving yards. He's starting to put together a really nice season, as he's on pace for over 1,100 yards. He also scored his first touchdown of the season last week.
In Week 5, he'll face a Jaguars defense that gave up a lot of yards to New England, but has otherwise been pretty stout. In the three games not against the Patriots, the Jaguars are allowing an average of 48 rushing yards per game to backs and 2.7 yards per rush. All four rushing touchdowns against their defense also came from the Patriots game. Martin will see plenty of touches this week, and Tampa is more likely to not give up on the running game as this matchup figures to be close. Owners should view Martin as a RB2 this week.
Week 4 vs. Carolina
Doug Martin hurt his knee during practice Wednesday and sat out Thursday, so his health is something to monitor leading up to Sunday. So far this season, Martin has been average when it comes to running the ball. His 3.8 yards per carry average isn't impressing anyone.
Martin gets a difficult matchup this week a Panthers defense that hasn't allowed more than 70 collective rushing yards to running backs in any game this season. Expect Martin to put up average numbers again, making him a flex play in Week 4.
Week 3 at Houston
Doug Martin looks better this year than he has in his previous two seasons, but he still has a ways to go before he's considered one of the elite options. He had a nice performance in Week 2, finishing with 98 total yards.
He could find it hard to get rushing yards in Week 3 against a tough Texans defense. While he's been improving, he still hasn't hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season, and that streak will likely continue in Week 3. Martin is still a good option, since he gets the majority of the touches in Tampa's backfield, but he'll be a low RB2 or a RB3 play this week.
Week 2 vs. New Orleans
Doug Martin had a strong first week, but he didn't get many opportunities due to the nature of the game. Tampa Bay fell behind early, meaning Martin only finished with 11 carries. He did have success, though, rushing for 52 yards (4.7 avg).
He'll get a favorable matchup this week as the Saints allowed over 100 collective rushing yards a week ago. They also gave up a big pass play to a back, although Martin isn't used as much in the passing game. Martin looks to be back to form this year, but his success is based on how many touches he gets. For now, Martin should be viewed as a low-end RB2.
Week 1 vs. Tennessee
Is Doug Martin back? It would appear so based on his preseason performance. The former first-round pick ran 20 times for 118 yards (5.9 avg.) in three games. He's going to be the lead back in Tampa Bay and opens in a favorable matchup against Tennessee.
The Titans were awful against the run a season ago, allowing the most rushing yards to backs. This is a very promising stat for someone who could use a strong start to the season. Martin isn't an elite option, but he should be viewed as a strong RB2 against Tennessee.
Fantasy Upside
Doug Martin has been named Tampa Bay's starting running back for the season. The former first-round pick has shown promise before, especially during his rookie season. In 2012 Martin had a string of amazing performances and finished with 1,926 total yards and 12 touchdowns. He's also a fan of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Apparently Martin was on the trading block, but when Koetter arrive he opted to keep the running back after liking what he saw on tape.
Fantasy Downside
Martin has struggled heavily in his past two seasons as he's dealt with injuries. In 2013 he started six games and had just one touchdown. Last season he started 11 games and scored only twice. He also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and finished with just 494 rushing yards. Not only has he struggled running, but he's also not as effective catching the ball as he was in his rookie season. Last year he caught 13 balls in 11 games and averaged less than five yards per catch. Martin will also be in somewhat of a crowded backfield. While he's considered the starter, the Buccaneers will likely sprinkle in Charles Sims and Bobby Rainey.
Bottom Line
Martin is not a very promising player at this point. He still has time to turn it around, but he needs to prove it first. Right now he's outside of being a reliable RB2. He should be viewed more as a RB3 or a flex option in the hopes he performs well and can hold off Sims. A new offense and a better quarterback in place should help Martin, but he's a long way from being trustworthy.
