7 Fantasy Football Studs Who Started Slow in Week 1: Will They Rebound?
Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens
There were no bright spots for a Baltimore Ravens offense that finished ranked 31st in NEP as an offense at -18.31 points relative to expectation, with only the Blake Bortles led Jaguars grading out worse (-19.64). The offense line was thoroughly overmatched against a dominant Broncos front, and the 36 year old Steve Smith Sr. just didn't have enough left in the tank to help the passing game look any better than miserable.
Justin Forsett finished with only five fantasy points in standard scoring leagues, which is not what you are hoping for when you draft player in the second round. He had only 56 yards on 18 total touches (much of which came on one 20-yard run), producing a Rushing NEP per rush (-0.21), which was just a tad better than Alfred Blue's (-0.23).
With Torrey Smith off to San Francisco and rookie Breshad Perriman still nursing an injured knee, this was an offense incredibly short on playmakers who could prevent Denver from stacking the box to take away the run. And until either Perriman returns or a backup receiver emerges (unlikely), it's hard to see how this Ravens offense can turn things around.
While 18 touches is what you hope to see from your starting running back, just like LeSean McCoy, efficiency could be a major issue. That's a much bigger problem when you factor in that Forsett is a 29-year-old journeyman back with no track record of success prior to last season. With the team investing draft capital in both Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius Allen, there is no guarantee the team will stick with Forsett while the team struggles instead of turning to the youngsters to see what they can offer.
I'd be worried about starting Forsett unless the matchup is clearly favorable, but it may prove impossible to sell him for anything reasonable. Denver may be the most difficult defense they will face this season, but that shouldn't mask the overwhelming deficiencies that this team has on offense right now.
