Even though he opens the season as the starter with Ray Rice suspended, Fantasy owners aren't exactly thrilled about the prospects of starting Bernard Pierce in Week 1. With a tough matchup on the way against the Bengals, it doesn't seem like Pierce is likely to make anyone regret overlooking him this Sunday.
The Bengals allowed just 13.8 Fantasy points per game to opposing running backs last season, and Pierce was basically invisible in two matchups against them. Pierce had just seven Fantasy points over those two games, while racking up a total of just 89 yards on the ground and in the air.
The good news for Pierce is he did put together a solid performance in his lone career start last season, logging 12 Fantasy points while scoring one of his two touchdowns a year ago. However, the matchup against a tough Bengals defense that allowed just six touchdowns to running backs a year ago could lead to a long day for him and his Fantasy owners this Sunday.
Pierce falls just inside the top-30 among running backs in our expert rankings for Week 1, and should be considered more of a low-end Fantasy starter.