Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce's Updated Fantasy Reaction After Week 1

Just about nothing went right for the Baltimore Ravens' offense on Sunday. Not the least of which were fantasy owners' plans for Bernard Pierce, whose ascent to the starting lineup did not go as planned in Week 1's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.      

Pierce rushed the ball only six times for 14 yards, as Baltimore's offense floundered in a 23-16 defeat. The Ravens' two touchdowns both came in the second half, one of which actually did come on the ground.

Only the score didn't go in Pierce's direction.

Instead, it was Justin Forsett who came out of the woodwork for a 13-yard score and who has seemingly entrenched himself as a co-lead with Pierce. Forsett had 11 carries to his counterpart's six, out-gaining him 70-14. He overtook almost the entirety of the carries in the second half as Pierce watched idly from the sidelines. 

The former Cal standout was last seen with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013, rushing six times for 31 yards in nine games.

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The name Justin Forsett may also send a cold shiver down the spine of fantasy owners who remember his heyday in Seattle. Billed as a potential breakout star with the Seahawks after a promising rookie season, Forsett never quite panned out. His sophomore campaign saw Seattle trade for Marshawn Lynch. While the pair split carries throughout the 2010 season, Lynch introduced the world to the Beast Mode concept in that postseason and never looked back.

Forsett was basically irrelevant his last year in Seattle and played a backup role each of the last two seasons, garnering limited opportunities. His solid outing against a stellar Cincinnati defense may earn him his first legitimate shot at consistent playing time since that fateful 2010 campaign.

Pierce seemed out of sorts and was ineffective every time he touched the ball, never gaining more than six yards on a single carry. Coming off a season in which he averaged 2.9 yards across 152 carries, one could understand John Harbaugh having a quick hook. Pierce was the worst running back to receive at least 100 carries last season, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.

Second worst? Ray Rice, whose two-game suspension for domestic abuse allowed Pierce and Forsett their opportunities. The Ravens have increasingly moved to a two-back look over the last couple seasons to preserve Rice's legs, so Forsett has a real chance at a job here if he continues to be productive.

From a fantasy perspective, it's hard to trust either. Baltimore has a ton of money invested in Rice and is going to use him as the primary runner when he returns from his suspension. The best owners can hope for from either player is to get 10-15 carries per game, which isn't going to be enough to consider starting outside the deepest of leagues.

Forsett is an interesting name if your league has a deep bench and you need a Rice handcuff. Otherwise, he's just a guy who had an OK game in Week 1. Fantasy owners have seen this enough times to know it's unwise to overreact.

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