Doug Martin returned to the field on Sunday after almost a month of inactivity. Surprisingly, Martin was named the starter heading into the game. Of course, the designation felt like more of a formality than anything else. For most of the game, Martin split carries pretty evenly with Charles Sims. Overall, Martin ended up leading the team with 11 carries but finished with just 27 rushing yards. He caught one of his three targets for 4 yards. Sims didn't do much either. He had six carries for 22 yards, catching two of his four targets for 11 yards.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 13: Doug Martin adds to murky fantasy value for Buccaneers backfield
Doug Martin returned to action in Week 12, and Tampa Bay’s backfield is still a mess. We take a look at what to expect for fantasy purposes.
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If there were to be any takeaway from Week 12, it’s that Martin still has some presence on Tampa Bay’s offense. While the coaching staff has been dedicated in their optimism toward Sims, the reality is that the job should go to anyone who can make something happen with opportunities. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anyone capable of running away with feature back duties at the moment.
Fantasy impact: Considering that Martin has been ineffective for the majority of 2014, he's available in over half of leagues. It's promising that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers labeled Martin as their starter in Week 12, but it's a long shot that Martin will have a late-season surge for fantasy owners.
Martin is certainly worth owning in deeper leagues, but it will take some convincing before he's a recommended start. Meanwhile, Charles Sims is worth a hold in deeper leagues as the Buccaneers continue giving him opportunities to break out. His time appears to be running out though. Both running backs are an extremely risky start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.
