Bernard Pierce fizzles for fantasy owners, Justin Forsett takes over

Bernard Pierce picked up where he left off in 2013 as an underwhelming answer to the Baltimore Ravens backfield. Pierce saw just six carries for 14 yards before fumbling the football. Justin Forsett saw the workload for the remainder of the game once Pierce was benched. The fumble was an impressive strip by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Regardless, Pierce was lethargic up until that point, so one fumble was all it took. Forsett impressed with 11 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 14 yards.

Fantasy impact: If Pierce owners were concerned that his value would take a nosedive when Ray Rice returned, they may have gotten their answer earlier than they wanted. Pierce simply couldn't make anything happen before he was benched. Forsett appears to be the hot hand now. Rice and Pierce owners should be making moves to claim Forsett from their waiver wire. He's an interesting plug and play for Week 2, assuming Pierce doesn't top the depth chart on Thursday.