Baltimore Ravens running back Bernard Pierce has really impressed the coaching staff and been the best rusher in training camp, according to ESPN Baltimore's Jamison Hensely. Pierce is 24 years old with a lot of upside, and he has experience in offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak's system, giving him success in the early going of training camp.
With Ray Rice’s stock in flux, Bernard Pierce on the way up
Pierce has been the Ravens’ best running back in training camp so far, and he looks poised for a feature back role early in the season. We break down the fantasy implications.
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All signs point to him being the feature back in Baltimore to start the regular season, especially since teammate Ray Rice will miss the team's first two games while serving a suspension.
Fantasy Impact: Pierce put together an impressive rookie campaign with the Ravens in 2012, and he showed fantasy owners and his teammates he was poised for a future take over as the go-to rusher on the team. However, he took a step back last year and didn’t do nearly as much damage even though he basically split carries with Rice.
Still, this year presents a great opportunity for Pierce to rebound, and a solid opening two games could shift the carries in his favor. Pierce will likely see the bulk of the work in the team's preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday. It's worth noting that Rice entered last season as one of the most desired fantasy running backs, but he struggled mightily, and even without his suspension and other distractions, his value was questionable.
