Bernard Pierce Remains Baltimore Ravens' Top Fantasy RB Despite Poor Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens backfield is one of the trickiest situations in fantasy football, but Bernard Pierce will ultimately emerge as the player to own.

In the wake of Ray Rice being released, the Ravens will have to lean on a stable of backs who remain largely unproven at the NFL level. That includes Pierce as well as Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro.

Pierce got the start in the Ravens' season-opening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and he remains listed atop Baltimore's depth chart. Even so, there is a great deal of concern among Ravens fans and fantasy football owners as it relates to Pierce's starting viability.

The third-year man out of Temple received just six touches for 14 yards in Week 1, and he was pulled from the game after fumbling deep in his own territory, according to ESPN's John Clayton:

Pierce suffered a minor concussion prior to the start of the regular season, so there was some speculation that he was removed from the game due to injury. Per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano, however, that was not the case:

With Pierce falling out of favor, head coach John Harbaugh turned to Forsett. The 28-year-old veteran has been in the league since 2008, but he has just seven career starts to his credit. Forsett was effective against the Bengals, though, as he racked up 84 total yards and a touchdown.

Forsett showed similar flashes with the Seattle Seahawks in 2009 and 2010, but he has never been utilized as anything more than a occasional third-down back.

The door is open for Forsett to get his big break in Baltimore; however, Pierce isn't likely to go down without a fight.

In fact, Harbaugh has already admitted that both Pierce and Forsett will be very much in the mix during Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Around The NFL on Twitter:

Also, Harbaugh expressed confidence in Pierce's abilities despite his decision to roll with Forsett throughout much of the Ravens' Week 1 contest, per Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.

"You don't lose faith in a player because of a bad play," Harbaugh said. "Bernard is still on his way to becoming, I would say, a very good player, and I've been saying that all along. I have the utmost confidence in him."

Even so, it is easy to understand why Pierce's fantasy owners might be somewhat skeptical.

His situation is reminiscent of what happened to New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley. After fumbling in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, head coach Bill Belichick never seemed to fully trust him and didn't utilize him as the primary back.

Things are a bit different with Pierce, though. Ridley had a history of ball security problems while Pierce's fumble Sunday was the first of his NFL career. The much bigger concern as it relates to Pierce is the fact that he averaged fewer than three yards per carry last season.

Rice was just as bad in 2013, which suggests that the offensive line was the common issue. Just one season earlier, Pierce picked up nearly five yards per tote as a rookie, so he has it in him to be a productive rusher.

Forsett is quicker and a better pass-receiver than Pierce, but he is also extremely small at 5'8". Running between the tackles is Pierce's bread and butter, which means he should be Harbaugh's go-to guy in short-yardage situations and in the red zone.

If he excels in those areas, then one can only assume that his role will continue to expand. Pierce is four years younger than Forsett, and the Ravens are far more invested in him after drafting him in the third round in 2012.

Pierce will be given every opportunity to win the starting job, and he undoubtedly has a higher ceiling than Forsett. It is unlikely that either player will emerge as anything more than a flex play in 2014, but the smart money is on Pierce to receive more consistent usage moving forward.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter