Lorenzo Taliaferro's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 4

The Baltimore Ravens have gotten production at the running back position from some unlikely sources in this young season.

Rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro burst onto the scene in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, turning heads for fantasy football owners looking for a quick fix to the all-important running back corps.

Naturally, the attention turns to his Week 4 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, one in which fantasy football owners can expect Taliaferro to have solid production with fewer touches, although his volatility as a relative unknown makes him nothing more than an RB3 or flex option.

Taliaferro outperformed fellow halfback Justin Forsett in Week 3, even though the latter was reported as the starter before the game with Bernard Pierce inactive with a thigh injury, per the team's official twitter account:

His no-frills running style proved difficult to handle for the staunch Browns defense and helped the Ravens pull off a thrilling 23-21 victory.

Player	ATT	YDS	TD	REC	REC YDS
Taliaferro	18	91	1	0	0
Forsett	11	63	0	4	2

It certainly was a hit with coach John Harbaugh. "I think the results speak for themselves with Lorenzo," Harbaugh said, via ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley."He was running downhill, physical and was hard to tackle. That is an element that is a big plus for an offense."

FantasyGuru.com's John Hansen was also a fan of Taliaferro:

The Panthers have given up the ninth-most fantasy points to running backs this season, per ESPN.com. However, expectations for a monster day should be tempered.  

The majority of those points against the Panthers D came in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount went crazy, combining for 256 yards rushing.

David Richard/Associated Press

It should also be noted that they've given up just one rushing touchdown to running backs on the year. If Taliaferro is to score, it will likely have to be on the ground, considering he didn't record a catch in the game and quarterback Joe Flacco hardly looked his way on passing downs.

Taliaferro has a bruising north-south running style that resembles Blount's, so he could be a good bet to receive carries late in the game against a tired defense. The Ravens should be able to keep pace with the Panthers offense, which is averaging just 21 points per game, good for 18th in the league. Expect Taliaferro to feature in the offense.

Eighteen carries was enough to make Taliaferro a star, but as Hensley notes, the Ravens are more likely to use Pierce next week if he is available:

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The odds of the Ravens starting Taliaferro next week are not strong. The Ravens' history is not to put too much pressure on rookie running backs, although it's tempting to go with Taliaferro based on his decisiveness and ability to finish off runs. 

A major reason why the Ravens will probably keep Pierce as the starter is he's bigger than Forsett and has more experience than Taliaferro. The downside is Pierce's injury-filled track record. 

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And Harbaugh has said the Ravens "have a good chance of getting him back next week," per Hensley.

All told, Taliaferro should be able to generate 70-plus yards of offense with the possibility of a trip to the end zone, as he is larger than Forsett. This makes him worth a start in deeper leagues.

Beyond Week 4, Taliaferro's fantasy production is liable to take a big hit. Pierce appears to be closing in on full strength in the next few weeks, and although the Ravens may choose to work him in slowly, he is the veteran back on the team and will take valuable touches away from Taliaferro. 

The only way for him to take over the starting role with any authority is to build upon his performance from Week 3. If he can put up even bigger numbers against the Panthers and stay the course in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, Taliaferro could become an unlikely starting fantasy option similar to the way Zac Stacy burst onto the scene in 2013.