Though Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett was not on pace to match his career numbers from 2014, the veteran ball-carrier was still having a solid season this year. In 10 games, Forsett carried the ball 151 times for 641 yards (4.2 YPC) and two touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 153 yards.
Those aren't eye-popping stats, but they're good enough to qualify for RB2 status in fantasy. Now that Forsett will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, who should owners scramble to add as his replacement?
"A broken arm has ended Justin Forsett's season, but this presents an opportunity for 2015 fourth-round pick Javorius 'Buck' Allen to stake his claim for the team's lead back gig in 2016 and beyond," ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Mike Clay wrote. "Following Forsett's early exit, Allen worked 49 snaps during Sunday's win against St. Louis. Allen handled all 22 of the team's carries by running backs not named Forsett. Allen also racked up five targets. The likes of Raheem Mostert, Terrance West and possibly Terrance Magee will be in the mix for touches, but none will be a major threat to Allen's role as the feature back. Without Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Breshad Perriman and Dennis Pitta, the Baltimore offense figures to struggle, but 16 to 20 touches per week will allow Allen RB2 production. He should be your priority add on waivers this week."
Allen finished last week's game with 67 rushing yards on 22 attempts (3.0 YPC) and five receptions for 48 yards. Overall, he has carried the ball 64 times for 249 yards (3.9 YPC) and caught 13 passes for 106 yards. He has yet to see the end zone this season. That may give some owners pause when they're perusing the free agent options.
However, at 6-foot and 220 pounds, Allen is a bigger back than Forsett and should receive the majority of the goal line touches. During Allen's career at USC he scored 25 rushing touchdowns in a two-year span. He also proved to be a solid pass-catching option out of the backfield, totaling 62 receptions during the 2013-14 seasons.
Will Allen swing you your league? Probably not. The Ravens are just too banged up to be an offensive powerhouse. But Allen should receive a healthy workload which could lead to some solid outings.
