9 Fantasy Football Studs Who Started Slow in Week 1: Will They Rebound?

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running behind arguably the worst offensive line in the league, Doug Martin found little room to run and failed to demonstrate the creativity needed to compensate for the Buccaneers struggles up front. The result was two fantasy points and plenty of concern from owners who drafted him in the second or third round.

In addition to the terribly play by his line, Martin struggled in the passing game once again, dropping passes and allowing a sack and several pressures in protection. He simply may not be a natural receiver, and will struggle all season to produce in that phase of the game, which limits his value.

A tweaked knee/leg literally added injury to insult, and we will wait and see on the severity and if he will miss action. The team is still being coy on releasing details. Regardless, it's now difficult to recommend starting him each week after his struggles in 2013 (-12.64 Rushing NEP, far below average given his injury) and performances like this. He finished the game with a Rushing NEP of -3.87, placing him near the bottom of all running backs in that category.

Recommendation: His value is terribly low both as a trade asset and a fantasy contributor, so owners likely need to be patient at this point in the season. However, if Martin produces against a poor defense like the Falcons in Week 3, owners should look to trade him immediately. This offensive line will struggle to open holes this year and Martin’s lack of ability in the passing game further caps his value.