When the Ravens listed a perfectly healthy Bernard Pierce among their inactives for Week 8 at Cincinnati, it probably seemed like good news for Justin Forsett owners. Pierce had been a thorn in their sides, short-changing Forsett with a short touchdown run each of the last two weeks.
But Forsett wasn't the one to benefit from Pierce's absence. Lorenzo Taliaferro was, scoring not just one touchdown but two -- and both on runs of more than 5 yards.
Forsett was still the primary rusher, getting 17 carries to Taliaferro's seven, and he got a chance from the Bengals' 2-yard line in the first quarter. But when he failed with it, the Ravens seemed all the more inclined to go with Taliaferro inside the 10-yard line.
Taliaferro may be even more of a danger to Forsett than Pierce was. The Ravens trusted Pierce in short-yardage situations, but with an average of just 3.6 yards per carry, he wasn't a threat to break a long one. With Sunday's performance, Taliaferro is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, and again, neither of his touchdowns came at the goal line.
It doesn't mean you sit Forsett in Fantasy. He's been pretty reliable no matter who the Ravens have paired with him. But he's not as safe as he appeared to be at this time last week. And Taliaferro is worth adding on his own merit.