The Buccaneers have an interesting battle at the backup RB position behind starter Doug Martin. Some have penciled in rookie Mike James (Miami) as the handcuff but that may not be the case. Scott Reynolds, from Pewter Report Magazine, tells Cecil Lammey that second-year RB Michael Smith has been getting some first-team work, nickel offense, and third-and-long reps with the first team this offseason. James has barely been used and is getting fewer reps than 5’5″ Matt Brown at this time.

Our View: An interesting situation for fantasy owners to monitor here. Doug Martin doesn’t have durability problems but if you spend a high pick on him then handcuffing a guy like Smith in the last round makes sense (if you have a deep bench). Smith is an incredibly fast back who can cut crisply at speed. The team would likely use FB Brian Leonard a bit more if Martin went down.
Buccaneers | Michael Smith favored over rookie Mike James