Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey validated himself again Week 9 at Cleveland, contributing more than 100 total yards of offense as a fill-in for Doug Martin. So with Martin still nursing an ankle injury, Rainey should be in line for similar numbers Week 10 against Atlanta, right?
Not necessarily. See, rumor has it rookie Charles Sims is finally going to be activated after missing the first nine weeks because of ankle surgery. With their starter down for a favorable matchup, why wouldn't the Buccaneers give him a try?
Well, because he'll be playing for the first time ever after rehabilitating a serious injury, and the Buccaneers, as you may have heard, already have a pretty good running back in Rainey. That doesn't mean Sims can't overtake Rainey (and Martin) in time, but I suspect it'll be a gradual thing.
If the Buccaneers fall behind big like they did in their first meeting with the Falcons back in Week 3, every down will be a passing down, and they've always liked using Rainey in those situations (he had seven catches for 64 yards in Week 3). But even if that doesn't happen, Rainey is an advisable play since he should still get the majority of the carries. The Falcons rank 25th against the run, allowing 128.0 yards per game, and have given up the most Fantasy points per game to running backs.