Justin Forsett Is a Must-Start Fantasy Running Back in Week 8 vs. Bengals

Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett's fantasy owners must realize two things heading into Week 8 of the NFL season. First, the ball-carrier's season average of 5.8 yards per carry is no fluke—he's remained consistent each and every week. Second, this is not last year's Cincinnati Bengals defense. This team is reeling in 2014 following the departure of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

When taking both of those things into consideration, Forsett becomes a must-start running back when these teams face off on Sunday.

Through seven games this season, Forsett has accumulated 87 carries for 503 yards and three touchdowns, adding 23 receptions for 118 yards. Those numbers include an 11-carry, 70-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 1 against the Bengals.

NFL on ESPN tweeted exactly where the ball-carrier stands in the current league rankings:

The Ravens found themselves behind for the majority of that contest and rushed just 20 times as a team. Recently, Baltimore's offense has taken flight, and Forsett has been a huge beneficiary. In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, the running back earned a season-high 23 carries, solidifying himself as the team's No. 1 option out of the backfield over Bernard Pierce.

The statistic in this tweet from Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun could be one reason why:

With Forsett garnering the lion's share of the team's carries right now, he's in line for a big day against a soft Bengals run defense. Heading into Week 8, Cincinnati is ranked 30th in the league against the run, allowing an average of 146.3 yards per game. That's translated to an average of 18.0 fantasy points per game for opposing ball-carriers, per ESPN.com.

NFL on CBS tweeted a huge difference in the Bengals' defensive output heading into Week 7:

Things didn't get any better for the team after getting trounced by the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 27-0 after allowing 506 yards of offense.

Let's take a look at how two similar running backs recently fared against the Bengals. Both Shane Vereen of the New England Patriots and Ahmad Bradshaw of the Colts are speedy, dual-threat running backs like Forsett, and they posted some favorable numbers:

Week	Player	Rush Yds	Rec	Rec Yds	Total TD	Points
5	Shane Vereen	90	3	18	0	10
7	Ahmad Bradshaw	52	3	36	2	20

Both running backs put up those numbers despite being part of a backfield timeshare. While Forsett is also sharing carries, his recent workload has been significantly increased of late.

Forsett credited his recent success to his offensive line during an interview with Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, "I think it's the offensive line. They've done a heck of a job of executing, getting that cutback side and stretching that defense. I'm just able to find holes."

He's absolutely right. The Ravens' offensive line has been outstanding this season, ranking second in run blocking with a plus-25.3 rating, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Expect those big bodies to pave the way for another huge day for Forsett on Sunday.

Be sure to place Forsett in your Week 8 starting lineup. After that, sit back and watch the points accumulate.