Probably the preseason ranking that surprised me the most was Charles Sims. In PPR scoring systems, he shows up just outside the top 20 running backs. If you follow the Index rankings in drafts, he'll show up on a whole lot of your teams.
There was a recent mailbag item from a beat writer for Pewter Report speculating that Sims would get more carries this year. "I really believe we will see Sims get more carries in 2016 and that could cut into Martin’s total yardage," says the writer.
Reading the entire article though, it's not quite as strong in favor of Sims. It says you don't give Martin the contract the Bucs gave him to take too many carries away, and that "if healthy, he'll be the focal point of the offense."
But Martin has never had two good seasons in a row. Last year even though he played 16 games and went over 1,400 rushing yards, Sims chipped in more than 1,000 total yards himself: 529 rushing, 561 receiving. He caught 51 passes, and that was with Martin having a great season and not getting hurt.
A similar role behind Martin gives Sims a pretty high floor, especially in PPR leagues. And if Martin should get injured, Sims could then be huge.
You can't count on injuries, and obviously it could be Sims, not Martin, slowed by them. But as a player who won't be highly coveted in most drafts, Sims stands to be a useful fantasy prospect. Especially for those who wait on running backs, focusing on other players early. Might also be something of a must-have for anyone who uses an early pick on Martin.
--Andy Richardson