Bernard Pierce Fantasy Football Week 0 Scouting Report

Bernard Pierce
RB
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Age: 33
Weight: 230 lbs
Height: 6' 0"

ADP:
Depth Chart Ranking: N/A

Pts	RuYds	RuTD	Rec	RecYds
0	0	0	0	0

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Scouting report

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 25, 2014 · 1:02 PM EDT

BAL RB Bernard Pierce - Week 4, 2014 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 – Bernard Pierce vs. Carolina

Bernard Pierce was hurt last week and was a late scratch against the Browns. That injury may have cost him more than one game however, as rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro filled in and played great in his stead.

Pierce should be fine this week and is still technically the starter in Baltimore, but fantasy owners should be concerned about his long term hold on the position. Making things worse is the matchup this week against the Panthers elite defense. Carolina was gauged by the Pittsburgh running game on Sunday night, but that performance seemed fluky, and the Panthers are still expected to be one of the top run defenses in the NFL. Pierce is a low end RB3/Flex option at best this week and probably should be out of your lineup altogether until the backfield situation in Baltimore gets less murky.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 18, 2014 · 1:00 PM EDT

BAL RB Bernard Pierce - Week 3, 2014 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 3 – Bernard Pierce vs. Cleveland

Bernard Pierce was much better against the Steelers poor run defense last week than he was against the Bengals in Week 1, as he finished with 96 yards on 22 carries and added a seven yard reception to his totals.

Pierce still has a bad yards per carry average, and while he got a heavy workload against the Steelers, the Browns boast arguably a better run defense, and he looked less effective overall than Justin Forsett, who also had 12 touches and 72 yards. Expect a time share and for Pierce to have a hard time reaching that workload leave against the stingy Cleveland defense. He’s a RB3/Flex, or low end RB2 option.

Update:

Pierce is inactive this week, Forsett gets a bump in value and owners should get Pierce out of their lineup.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 11, 2014 · 9:56 AM EDT

BAL RB Bernard Pierce - Week 2, 2014 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 2 – Bernard Pierce vs. Pittsburgh

Bernard Pierce was terrible against the Bengals last Sunday. He averaged only 2.3 yards per carry on six touches and was essentially benched in the second half, as Justin Forsett took over and outplayed him in every way. Expected to be the main guy this season, Pierce may now be in a timeshare with Justin Forsett.

Pierce’s long term value took a hit on Sunday, and then was revived Monday with the release of Ray Rice from the team. He has some value, but he’s a risky start for fantasy owners who counted on him last week and got hosed. If you’re desperate, he should still get some work, but most likely he’s going to be a low end RB3 this week.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 03, 2014 · 2:00 PM EDT

BAL RB Bernard Pierce - Week 1, 2014 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 – Bernard Pierce vs. Cincinnati
Bernard Pierce had a rough year in 2013, averaging only 2.9 yards, despite logging 152 carries as the main backup and change-of-pace back to Ray Rice. With new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak aiming to revitalize the Ravens’ ground game, Pierce should do better than he did last season, but he’s still risky.

Against the Bengals, things won’t be easy for Pierce. The Bengals allowed less than 100 yards per game on the ground last year, good for fifth in the NFL, and Pierce is coming off a concussion suffered in the preseason. He should be good to go, but we have him ranked 26th this week against a tough matchup, making him a RB3 or low end flex option in most leagues.

by Brandon Niles

· Aug 18, 2014 · 1:03 PM EDT

BAL RB Bernard Pierce - 2014 Fantasy Football Outlook

Bernard Pierce was just as disappointing as Ray Rice was last year with his opportunities running in Baltimore. He finished the season with only 436 yards despite getting nearly 36% of the carries for the Ravens. With an average of 2.9 yards per carry, Pierce was disappointing for the team and for fantasy owners alike, who expected big things from him as a handcuff to Ray Rice, who also struggled in 2013.

Fantasy Upside
Pierce should be better this season. The Ravens upgraded their offensive line by adding former Buc Jeremy Zuttah to play Center, and Michael Oher’s departure shouldn’t hurt the team too much, as he was a below average starting tackle anyway. Pierce should get plenty of work behind Rice, especially during the first two weeks while Rice serves a suspension from an offseason altercation, adding to Pierce’s value. Finally, the arrival of new Offensive Coordinator and former Houston Head Coach Gary Kubiak should do wonders for the Baltimore running game. The zone blocking run scheme that made Arian Foster a household name for the Texans should benefit the Ravens running game.

Fantasy Downside
Pierce is coming off a bad season, and he’s still the backup running back. Both factors limit his value, despite the fact that he’ll likely be starting the first two weeks. Fantasy owners who believe last season was an aberration for Pierce also must consider that it could’ve been one for Rice too; and if Rice gets back to his Pro Bowl form, then it could mean that Pierce ends up with closer to 25% of the workload, as he had his rookie season.

Bottom Line
Pierce isn’t a bad risk/reward pick later in the draft and he’s especially valuable as a Rice handcuff. He’ll start the first two weeks, should benefit from the offensive changes, and he’s only 24 years old entering his third season. Additionally, the entire Ravens offense should be better this year, making it more likely he averages closer to his 4.9 yards per carry of 2012, than the 2.9 he averaged last year. Still, he’s a handcuff and a backup past Week 2, limiting his overall value, which is why we have him ranked right around the 40th spot and his ADP is rightly in the 10th round range.