The Muscle Hamster

[slimshady31]

This guy is my first round pick, thought getting him at #6 in a PPR was pretty decent and safe. His average yards per carry this year is miserable. I mean the guy gets 25-30 touches per game and does absolutely nothing with them. I know teams wont respect the pass in TB but eventually he should turn those 25-30 touches into 100yd games right? He had what 27 carries today for all of 45 yards and no TDs? Glad he's on bye next week so I don't even have to deal with him. Guess I overvalued him at my draft...

[DanTheMan_5]

you're not the only one.

[PPIchamp]

I don't get why they don't throw to him more often. I mean, if they can't get a running game going, give him some tosses instead.

[zekez]

In a keeper league where i had to decide between Martin and J Charles, I chose poorly

[MTSuper7]

Meh, Freeman was terrible and Glennon is raw. The best we can hope for is that the Bucs' receivers get healthy over the bye and Glennon improves a little with more time to practice with the 1s. Hopefully Carl Nicks gets healthier too... The Buc offense will flow through Martin - his situation reminds me a lot of MJD in years past and MJD managed to carve out decent value. Nobody anticipated the complete face plant from Freeman and the domino effect on the whole offense. The good news is that it can't get worse and will likely get better as the season wears on. Martin caught more passes today than any other game so far, and that's a good sign. But it is painful to realize he isn't going to put up numbers worthy of a top 5 or 6 pick. I suspect the worst is behind us with Martin.

[SecondString]

Could be worse, you could've drafted Spiller

[drafter]

Could be worse, you could've drafted Spiller

 

 

+1

[buddahj]

Could be worse, you could've drafted Spiller

 

and David Wilson

[WildTurkey]

my starting RB's: Martin, Spiller, and Chris Johnson

 

thought I had it in the bag this year.

[darin3]

Stayed away from Martin this year, and was fine with trading him away in a dynasty league.

 

His 2012 numbers were a mirage, IMO.

 

Weeks 8 (34.9 points in PPR) and 9 (53.2) accounted for THIRTY PERCENT of his total fantasy points last season.

 

I realize that these games "happened". Taking them away doesn't necessarily make total sense.... since they do COUNT.

 

But when looking at a first-round, RB1 type of talent, it's my opinion that you need CONSISTENCY along with the potential for a huge game.

 

Martin had games of 8.4, 5.2 and 5 all against lousy defenses that were giving up booty last season (Cowboys, Redskins and Saints).

 

In his remaining 11 games, he only scored over 20 points twice. He was normally in the low-mid teens in terms of fantasy points.

 

The guy has talent and obviously in PPR formats his ability to catch the ball can keep him relevant even if he has a poor outing.... but I believe he was overvalued based on a 2-game outburst. His fantasy owners probably won those weeks on his shoulders, but probably didn't NEED all those extra points.... they would have probably still won with a 20-25 point week, and could have used the points in the other 14 games instead.

 

JMHO.

[stevegrab]

Man these nicknames are getting silly, I thought this was some sort of gay sex thread until I saw Darin post in it.

 

BTW, Doug Martin hates the name

 

Pleading for people to stop calling him "Muscle Hamster":

"Stop calling me Muscle Hamster. I'm just telling everybody right now: Stop calling me Muscle Hamster. Dougernaut, Dougernator, Muscle & Hustle, any of those are fine. But Muscle Hamster has to stop. Doug is fine, also. The Muscle Hamster has to stop. Stop it."

http://deadspin.com/5981633/doug-martin-hates-muscle-hamster-hed-rather-you-call-him-dougernaut-dougenator-muscle-and-hustledoug-is-fine-also

[whyme23]

the Hamster will be fine, they have a rookie QB and will keep feeding him. He will bust out soon enough

[ahavrilla]

The worst part about having the muscle hamster is that you can't trade him and you pretty much have to start him.

[Michigan13]

The logic about removing his biggest games is flawed on two levels. First it is dumb to arbitrarily discount someone's peak performance. Second, even if you give him ZERO's for those two weeks then in my league (0.5ppr) he would have been the 11th RB last year. If you remove those two weeks and then look at average weekly production then he was 9th overall. So even if you totally remove his two best performances he was still a top 10 back. Now coming into 2013 he got both of his probowl guards back and he was now going into his second year. So even if you discounted his two best games, wouldn't it be logical to expect a second year improvement?

 

Additionally, to bring up consistency is flawed because almost all players are inconsistent. By my league scoring only Peterson and Foster had fewer <10pt performances. I have Martin at 3 such performances (2 within his first 4 games in the NFL). Additionally, no one is posting a "Jamal Charles is overrated" thread (spoiler alert, he isn't), but Charles had 7 weeks of single digit points and Charles' two best weeks made up over 30 percent of his 2012 production just like Martin.

 

TLDR Martin was a no-doubt-about-it RB1 in 2013 and stories about his demise have been greatly over-exaggerated.

 

 

Stayed away from Martin this year, and was fine with trading him away in a dynasty league.

 

His 2012 numbers were a mirage, IMO.

 

Weeks 8 (34.9 points in PPR) and 9 (53.2) accounted for THIRTY PERCENT of his total fantasy points last season.

 

I realize that these games "happened". Taking them away doesn't necessarily make total sense.... since they do COUNT.

 

But when looking at a first-round, RB1 type of talent, it's my opinion that you need CONSISTENCY along with the potential for a huge game.

 

Martin had games of 8.4, 5.2 and 5 all against lousy defenses that were giving up booty last season (Cowboys, Redskins and Saints).

 

In his remaining 11 games, he only scored over 20 points twice. He was normally in the low-mid teens in terms of fantasy points.

 

The guy has talent and obviously in PPR formats his ability to catch the ball can keep him relevant even if he has a poor outing.... but I believe he was overvalued based on a 2-game outburst. His fantasy owners probably won those weeks on his shoulders, but probably didn't NEED all those extra points.... they would have probably still won with a 20-25 point week, and could have used the points in the other 14 games instead.

 

JMHO.

 

[darin3]

The logic about removing his biggest games is flawed on two levels. First it is dumb to arbitrarily discount someone's peak performance. Second, even if you give him ZERO's for those two weeks then in my league (0.5ppr) he would have been the 11th RB last year. If you remove those two weeks and then look at average weekly production then he was 9th overall. So even if you totally remove his two best performances he was still a top 10 back. Now coming into 2013 he got both of his probowl guards back and he was now going into his second year. So even if you discounted his two best games, wouldn't it be logical to expect a second year improvement?

 

Additionally, to bring up consistency is flawed because almost all players are inconsistent. By my league scoring only Peterson and Foster had fewer <10pt performances. I have Martin at 3 such performances (2 within his first 4 games in the NFL). Additionally, no one is posting a "Jamal Charles is overrated" thread (spoiler alert, he isn't), but Charles had 7 weeks of single digit points and Charles' two best weeks made up over 30 percent of his 2012 production just like Martin.

 

TLDR Martin was a no-doubt-about-it RB1 in 2013 and stories about his demise have been greatly over-exaggerated.

 

 

So, how many teams do you own Martin in, pal?

 

4 games in... the two probowl guards back... and we've yet to top 15 fantasy points in 0.5 ppr leagues.

 

4 games in and he's behind superstars like Knowshon Moreno and Bilal Powell. Hell, even part-timers like Danny Woodhead, Gio Bernard, Joique Bell and Fred Jackson are ahead of him after 4 weeks.

 

But hey, his 2 big games are comin', don't worry. You'll win those weeks by 30 points. And then the remaining 12 you'll have to squeeze out every last point out of everyone else since Dougie Fresh will be giving you somewhere between 8 and 15 points.

Edited September 30, 2013 by darin3

[tazinib1]

So, how many teams do you own Martin in, pal?

 

4 games in... the two probowl guards back... and we've yet to top 15 fantasy points in 0.5 ppr leagues.

 

4 games in and he's behind superstars like Knowshon Moreno and Bilal Powell. Hell, even part-timers like Danny Woodhead, Gio Bernard, Joique Bell and Fred Jackson are ahead of him after 4 weeks.

 

But hey, his 2 big games are comin', don't worry. You'll win those weeks by 30 points. And then the remaining 12 you'll have to squeeze out every last point out of everyone else since Dougie Fresh will be giving you somewhere between 8 and 15 points.

 

 

Sounds like a guy that is pist off he traded him with a 4yr contract. And what did YOU get?

[historymike]

I actually started Bilal Powell over Martin yesterday given the matchup, and Powell put up 4 more points (PPR league). Thank God I only drafted him in one league. Then again, at that point I could have taken Ray Rice or CJ Spiller, so at least Martin has been consistent. Consistently subpar, but still consistent.

[darin3]

Sounds like a guy that is pist off he traded him with a 4yr contract. And what did YOU get?

 

 

Yeah, I'm "pist" off that I traded what's equating out to a very low level RB1 (more like a RB2) and an alway-injured, turning-into-a-scrub WR who has 29 points through 4 weeks for the #1 overall dynasty player and a solid RB (who just so happens to be ranked HIGHER than Martin so far this season).

 

Oh, and just so happens this team is about to be 3-1 and leading the league in points by a wide margin.

 

Nope, not "pist" at all.

 

(For those that are wondering, I traded Martin and Nicks for Calvin Johnson and DeMarco Murray)

[Balzac]

Before overreacting, let's remember that, despite his present mediocrity, he's still ahead of Trent Richardson, AlaMo, Spiller, CJ, Ray Rice, MJD, SJax and Ridley in total points right now. Yeah - some of those guys went a round or so after he did and some of them are hurt, but part of the reason why you draft a guy like that (i.e., a 2nd year guy) is because (i) he's not as much of an injury risk and (ii) there is no chance anyone else is taking his carries. He had a brutal game this past week but I absolutely expect him to pick it up as the season progresses . . . and they continue to get him more involved in the passing game.

 

Let's also remember that he's got a strangely low TD total for 4 games in - I think we can all agree that this guy will end up with far more than 4 TDs on the season, no? With a TD thrown in, weeks like this past one become a lot more palatable.

 

I own him in one of my leagues and I'm not worried about him at all. Am I expecting him to run for 1500 yards and score 15 TDs? Hell no - but I'm expecting him to be a solid, top-10, source of points (with the occasional explosion), due to his steady workload and durability.

[darin3]

Before overreacting, let's remember that, despite his present mediocrity, he's still ahead of Trent Richardson, AlaMo, Spiller, CJ, Ray Rice, MJD, SJax and Ridley in total points right now. Yeah - some of those guys went a round or so after he did and some of them are hurt, but part of the reason why you draft a guy like that (i.e., a 2nd year guy) is because (i) he's not as much of an injury risk and (ii) there is no chance anyone else is taking his carries. He had a brutal game this past week but I absolutely expect him to pick it up as the season progresses . . . and they continue to get him more involved in the passing game.

 

Let's also remember that he's got a strangely low TD total for 4 games in - I think we can all agree that this guy will end up with far more than 4 TDs on the season, no? With a TD thrown in, weeks like this past one become a lot more palatable.

 

I own him in one of my leagues and I'm not worried about him at all. Am I expecting him to run for 1500 yards and score 15 TDs? Hell no - but I'm expecting him to be a solid, top-10, source of points (with the occasional explosion), due to his steady workload and durability.

 

 

Problem is, this guy was a top-5ish draft pick. But hey, if you're comfortable getting TOP TEN production out of a TOP FIVE pick, that's your preference.

 

And, to your point of him outscoring a handful of other bigger-name RBs:

 

Trent Richardson - this one's a mild surprise. I don't think anyone could have predicted Richardson's slow start

AlaMo - drafted a full round after Martin, and yet Morris is only averaging about a half point less per week.

Spiller - another mild surprise but there were those (myself included) that simply weren're sold with the presence of F-Jax, a rookie QB and an injury history

CJ - drafted 1-2 rounds after Martin, but there were question marks here, too

Ray Rice - definitely a shock to some, but like Spiller there were those (myself included and I'll be happy to send links) that thought his production would take a hit with Pierce's presence and the fact the team under-utilized him in 2012.

MJD - Really? You're comparing Martin to MJD?

SJax - dude got hurt

Ridley - not sure who was drafting Ridley over Martin, or even in the same stratosphere

 

I'm a fan of Martin's game. I drafted him high when he was a rookie in my dynasty leagues. He's just wildly inconsistent, sometimes throwing up poor production against cupcakes. The numbers simply don't lie. But hey, look at 'em however you want.

[tazinib1]

Yeah, I'm "pist" off that I traded what's equating out to a very low level RB1 (more like a RB2) and an alway-injured, turning-into-a-scrub WR who has 29 points through 4 weeks for the #1 overall dynasty player and a solid RB (who just so happens to be ranked HIGHER than Martin so far this season).

 

Oh, and just so happens this team is about to be 3-1 and leading the league in points by a wide margin.

 

Nope, not "pist" at all.

 

(For those that are wondering, I traded Martin and Nicks for Calvin Johnson and DeMarco Murray)

 

 

this team is also....what we discussed before the season started?

[darin3]

this team is also....what we discussed before the season started?

 

 

 

Huh?

[tazinib1]

 

Huh?

 

 

about to be 3-1?

[Balzac]

 

 

Problem is, this guy was a top-5ish draft pick. But hey, if you're comfortable getting TOP TEN production out of a TOP FIVE pick, that's your preference.

 

And, to your point of him outscoring a handful of other bigger-name RBs:

 

Trent Richardson - this one's a mild surprise. I don't think anyone could have predicted Richardson's slow start

AlaMo - drafted a full round after Martin, and yet Morris is only averaging about a half point less per week.

Spiller - another mild surprise but there were those (myself included) that simply weren're sold with the presence of F-Jax, a rookie QB and an injury history

CJ - drafted 1-2 rounds after Martin, but there were question marks here, too

Ray Rice - definitely a shock to some, but like Spiller there were those (myself included and I'll be happy to send links) that thought his production would take a hit with Pierce's presence and the fact the team under-utilized him in 2012.

MJD - Really? You're comparing Martin to MJD?

SJax - dude got hurt

Ridley - not sure who was drafting Ridley over Martin, or even in the same stratosphere

 

I'm a fan of Martin's game. I drafted him high when he was a rookie in my dynasty leagues. He's just wildly inconsistent, sometimes throwing up poor production against cupcakes. The numbers simply don't lie. But hey, look at 'em however you want.

 

 

Many people predicted richardson's slow start - I spoke with plenty of folks who weren't buying into him as a top pick for the simple reason that his team was junk. Ray Rice has a lot of miles building up on him and had competition, so there was clear risk there. Anyway, the point here was not to compare every single guy to Martin (I expressly said that certain guys were hurt or drafted later when I listed them) but to point out that he hasn't been THAT bad, by listing a bunch of other solid RBs who he has outperformed. The injury stuff is immaterial - as I said, that's part of the reason why you draft a guy like Martin over a guy with significantly more tread.

 

And yes - I'm perfectly fine getting TOP TEN value out of a TOP FIVE pick. I would think that anyone who has been playing this game for an extended period of time would say the same. Now if we were talking about ADP, different story - that's a consensus #1 pick. If HE (or a tomlinson or foster in their true primes) performs like the #10 RB, that's a bit of a disappointment. That's not Doug Martin, though.

[darin3]

about to be 3-1?

 

 

If you can say with a straight face that the mighty duo of Martin and Nicks is the reason your team is 3-1 in that league, you might need another drink.

 

Many people predicted richardson's slow start - I spoke with plenty of folks who weren't buying into him as a top pick for the simple reason that his team was junk. Ray Rice has a lot of miles building up on him and had competition, so there was clear risk there. Anyway, the point here was not to compare every single guy to Martin (I expressly said that certain guys were hurt or drafted later when I listed them) but to point out that he hasn't been THAT bad, by listing a bunch of other solid RBs who he has outperformed. The injury stuff is immaterial - as I said, that's part of the reason why you draft a guy like Martin over a guy with significantly more tread.

 

And yes - I'm perfectly fine getting TOP TEN value out of a TOP FIVE pick. I would think that anyone who has been playing this game for an extended period of time would say the same. Now if we were talking about ADP, different story - that's a consensus #1 pick. If HE (or a tomlinson or foster in their true primes) performs like the #10 RB, that's a bit of a disappointment. That's not Doug Martin, though.

 

 

Fair enough.