Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 1

During a mostly disappointing week for some of the top overall running backs across the NFL, Doug Martin had one of the worst performances. But not all was lost for fantasy owners who have his handcuff in Bobby Rainey, who had a receiving touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.   

Martin was underwhelming in his return for the Buccaneers after a season-ending injury last year. He was forced to leave the game on Sunday, but returned after a short break from the field, per Jenna Laine of Fox Sports:

Unfortunately, his production didn't see a spike with the return. On the game, Martin finished with just nine rushing yards on nine attempts along with one catch for seven receiving yards, numbers that likely ruined the week for several fantasy owners.

Prior to the end of the game, NFL Fantasy Football provided their thoughts on the limited numbers:

Oh, and that was before Martin lost yards on the final carry. Needless to say, it was a day to forget for Martin and the Buccaneers, who lost, 20-14, to the Carolina Panthers. Not to mention, the Panthers were without Cam Newton, per Carolina's Twitter account.

But all of the blame shouldn't fall on Martin's shoulders. The Bucs offensive line was questionable throughout the contest, leaving Josh McCown and the entire running back corps struggling to find their footing.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report notes the porous line play and Panthers pressure:

As for the man behind Martin, Rainey didn't do much to make fantasy owners salivate either. But if he was used as a flex option—which seems unlikely—he did at least provide more points than Martin on the day.

His one touchdown was a lone bright spot for the team, with the Buccaneers Twitter account voicing its excitement:

But the running back would also take away points near the end of the game with a fumble, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times notes:

It was an awful day all around for the Bucs and the running game, but not all is lost for fantasy owners. With a team that has completely retooled, the best days are ahead for the team and hopefully the running game as a whole.

With Rainey compiling just 20 total yards on the ground and through the air, he's not likely to take away too many points from Martin. But if the line can't block for either player, this group could continue to struggle.

As the team progresses, so too will Martin. For owners that show faith in the running back moving forward, he will prove to be a viable option at a fantasy starting running back position in the future.

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