Rankine, renowned among the AFL's most dangerous small forwards, will be deployed primarily as a midfielder this season, starting with Sunday's Adelaide Oval match against St Kilda.
The 24-year-old spent increasing periods on-ball last season and coach Nicks plans to again further boost Rankine's midfield minutes.
"There's no hiding, we want to try and get him around the ball as much as we can," Nicks said.
"It will depend on how we're going as a team and how he's going as an individual, that balance of what is working.
"I think he complements our midfield group.
"Matty Crouch has been really strong throughout the preseason and I think it helps having that different dynamic around him - the speed and the acceleration of Izak.
"(Jake) Soligo has taken his game to another level this year again, which is great from where he was last year. Sid (Draper) has come in and he's a different dynamic as well.
"And led by (captain Jordan) Dawson through there, the balance is going to be important.
"But I think Izak will spend a bit more time around the footy this year than last year."
Nicks, entering his sixth season as head coach, is yet to lead the Crows to a finals campaign and is imploring his players to demonstrate a more aggressive game style.
"When the bright lights go on and the pressure builds, we hope that is what we're going to bring," he said.
"Getting back our assertive style, taking the game on a little more, coming at the game, pressing the game, trying to play more in our forward half.
"Last year, we were a little bit back foot, retreating at times - not by intent, just through a number of different things that we were working on.
"So this year we want to be that team that gets at the opposition both when we don't have the ball and when we do have it."
Nicks' Crows carry heavy favouritism into the clash against an injury-hit St Kilda.
The Saints are without a batch of players, mainly in attack where Max King (knee), Mitch Owens (shoulder), Cooper Sharman (thumb) and Dan Butler (achilles) are absent.
Saints coach Ross Lyon acknowledged the "formidable" challenge posed by the Crows but dismissed gloomy predictions from pundits about his club's prospects for the season.
"Does the worm turn quickly or slowly? Sometimes it's a bit of both," Lyon said.
"We think with everyone available and playing great footy, we can win lots of games because the competition is pretty even."
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