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Bernard Pierce (1 Viewer)

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I'm surprised how little Pierce talk there is around here. Just searched: Only thread with Pierce in the title is Waldman's post linking to here and receiving no replies. Another thread in the assistant coach forum asked if Pierce was worth rostering. Other than that, it's crickets...

He looked decent Monday, even getting a red zone carry. And most importantly, the team had enough faith in Pierce's ability to handle RB duties that it put Rainey on the practice squad (risking losing him to a RB-needy team).

All the while, Pierce flies under the radar. In my three leagues (2 12 team & 1 10 team keeper), Goodson and Moreno just received handsome amounts of waiver wire attention and Pierce went untouched. He's not even mentioned Waldman's waiver wire and didn't even get an upgrade or "potential waiver wire gem."

Even 7th rounder Daryl Richardson gets some love because he's apparently ahead of Pead on the depth chart now. Considering that he's on a pedestrian offense and Pead would likely nip at his heels in the event Alexander goes down, the only factor I see in Richardson's favor is the age gap between Steven Jackson and Ray Rice. Everything else points to Pierce...

What am I missing???

 
Daryl Richardson is a FREAK athlete. Probably has david wilson type athletic ability but went to a D2 school. Richardson is dynamite, and I love the fact his coach is Fisher who managed to get CJ2K big time numbers. They are built very similarly.

 
I've got Pierce in a ton of my dynasty leagues. I think he has starter ability and was undervalued based on short term situation. I'll be holding him indefinitely because I think he can be a 1000+ yard back in the league and I think he'll get the chance eventually.

The obvious problem is that Ray Rice is one of the most durable RBs in the NFL and still in the prime of his career. Daryl Richardson has a better short term outlook simply because Steven Jackson is so old that he's liable to break down at any moment. Not the case with Rice, who should remain a top player for another 2-3 years.

In the unlikely event of a Rice injury, I think Pierce would become something like a Shonn Greene or Stevan Ridley type of back. He is more like Jamal Lewis than Ray Rice. An old-fashioned power back with limited value in the receiving game.

 
Daryl Richardson is a FREAK athlete. Probably has david wilson type athletic ability but went to a D2 school. Richardson is dynamite, and I love the fact his coach is Fisher who managed to get CJ2K big time numbers. They are built very similarly.
This is exactly my point... in asking "what am i missing about pierce" i get feedback on how good richardson is. i'm not disagreeing with you, just pointing out there's a surprising dearth of information and hype on Pierce, even though he's a clear cut backup in a solid offense.
I've got Pierce in a ton of my dynasty leagues. I think he has starter ability and was undervalued based on short term situation. I'll be holding him indefinitely because I think he can be a 1000+ yard back in the league and I think he'll get the chance eventually. The obvious problem is that Ray Rice is one of the most durable RBs in the NFL and still in the prime of his career. Daryl Richardson has a better short term outlook simply because Steven Jackson is so old that he's liable to break down at any moment. Not the case with Rice, who should remain a top player for another 2-3 years. In the unlikely event of a Rice injury, I think Pierce would become something like a Shonn Greene or Stevan Ridley type of back. He is more like Jamal Lewis than Ray Rice. An old-fashioned power back with limited value in the receiving game.
I'm picking Pierce up where I can. I see the dynasty talk leaning to Richardson since his situation appears slightly better given Jackson's age and exciting running style. But I think some of that advantage has to be mitigated by the long-term presence of Pead. As for redraft, what's the argument for Richardson?
 
As for redraft, what's the argument for Richardson?
Jackson is 29 with 2100+ career carries and Richardson is currently the #2 back. Jackson is much more likely to be injured/benched than Rice, which is why I would prefer Richardson to Pierce in redraft.
 
This is a good topic - if anything happens to Rice what kind of Role does Pierce get? The exact same? I hear they are built very similiar.

 
He's never going to be a special back, but if forced into a starting job I think he would be a very effective runner. Physical guy, not a lot of elusiveness but fast enough to do more than just get the bare minimum. My only concern about him is his lack of skills in the passing game, with Baltimore going more pass heavy that could limit him if called upon. I think they'd run more if Rice were out and they needed to go with Pierce, tweak the gameplan up a bit, but I'm not confident he gets passing downs. We'll see.

Anyway, in deeper leagues he's a must-cuff to Rice, in shallower leagues he's just a guy to watch since he cannot be started as long as Rice (who is very durable) is healthy and no one else is considering rostering him anyway.

I'm sure he's not available in dyno's, popular 2nd or 3rd round pick and well worth it imho.

 
This is a good topic - if anything happens to Rice what kind of Role does Pierce get? The exact same? I hear they are built very similiar.
Who knows. But he looks decent enough to have value in dynasty and redraft and should see a healthy amount of carries if Rice were to miss time. He's a rookie who's already earned the backup job and regular season (and relevant) carries (in a pretty good offense), which is more than you can say for Hillman, LaMichael James, and Isaiah Pead--all of whom are still listed higher in most dynasty rankings and midseason redraft "Going Forward" rankings.
 
It's funny. He came in late against the Bengals on Monday Night after Ray Rice was pulled. Took one vicious hit, and then was out for the rest of the game (the 3rd string RB filled in after that point).

 
I'm surprised how little Pierce talk there is around here. Just searched: Only thread with Pierce in the title is Waldman's post linking to here and receiving no replies. Another thread in the assistant coach forum asked if Pierce was worth rostering. Other than that, it's crickets...

He looked decent Monday, even getting a red zone carry. And most importantly, the team had enough faith in Pierce's ability to handle RB duties that it put Rainey on the practice squad (risking losing him to a RB-needy team).

All the while, Pierce flies under the radar. In my three leagues (2 12 team & 1 10 team keeper), Goodson and Moreno just received handsome amounts of waiver wire attention and Pierce went untouched. He's not even mentioned Waldman's waiver wire and didn't even get an upgrade or "potential waiver wire gem."

Even 7th rounder Daryl Richardson gets some love because he's apparently ahead of Pead on the depth chart now. Considering that he's on a pedestrian offense and Pead would likely nip at his heels in the event Alexander goes down, the only factor I see in Richardson's favor is the age gap between Steven Jackson and Ray Rice. Everything else points to Pierce...

What am I missing???
Because Ray Rice is still young, healthy, and one of the best RB's in the league. Moreno, Goodson, and Richardson all either have an injury prone RB ahead of them or an old guy who's lost some talent. If Rice goes down, than Pierce would be extremely valuable, but barring that I wouldn't expect Pierce to be fantasy relevant in redrafts this year.

 
Don't know much about this guy. Would he be a top 20 back if Ray Rice missed time? Trying to gauge his value as handcuff vs. other options who may be more likely to contribute.

 
Ray Rice is durable. Ray Rice is the focal point of the offense, so he won't be spelled for more than a carry or two here and there. Ray Rice isn't going to another team anytime soon. These are three reasons why nobody is talking about Bernard Pierce.

 
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Don't know much about this guy. Would he be a top 20 back if Ray Rice missed time? Trying to gauge his value as handcuff vs. other options who may be more likely to contribute.
I think he would do well. He's not as dangerous in the passing game as Rice, but he's a quality player. In terms of Buffalo RBs, he's more like Willis McGahee and Jamal Lewis than Ray Rice. I would expect him to do about what Willis did when he was with the Ravens if Rice were to get hurt.
 
Daryl Richardson is a FREAK athlete. Probably has david wilson type athletic ability but went to a D2 school. Richardson is dynamite, and I love the fact his coach is Fisher who managed to get CJ2K big time numbers. They are built very similarly.
Is Richardson really all that? Glad I got him off the wire last week in both my dynasty leagues.
 
Looking good. :ph34r:

Like his NFL ability more than Pead/Hillman/James who were drafted higher, but he's stuck on the bench for a while.

Downside is that he won't be getting 15+ touches per game any time soon.

Plus side is...the situation is the only reason he was as cheap as he was in rookie drafts.

 
Looking good. :ph34r: Like his NFL ability more than Pead/Hillman/James who were drafted higher, but he's stuck on the bench for a while. Downside is that he won't be getting 15+ touches per game any time soon. Plus side is...the situation is the only reason he was as cheap as he was in rookie drafts.
and that situation is sitting on an unstartable player for 3+ years unless Rice gets hurt. I don't see his payoff as worth the roster hold for that duration. But to each his own...
 
Great pre-emptive pick-up.

Remember, weeks 14-16 are what count most if you are going to win your league.

I have gone Rb, RB in most of the drafts over the last 20 years, this year I went Brees-Graham 1&2, so I have built a pretty good group of QB's, WR's, TE's, K, & should have taken AZ when I had the chance, but my RB's suck. Nobody want's to trade in my league, so!!!! All I can do is try and secure Rb's that I think have a chance of more playing time as the season progresses. This could be due to injury, performance, coaches decision, or teams that have play-off spots secured by week 15-16. Remember, Weeks 14-16 are when you have the play-offs to determine the Championship in your league.

Tonight against the Brown's - Pierce - 6 rushes - 48 yards = 8 yards per rush. He is getting more work every week. Rice is the man! Pierce is a clear-cut # 2.

For me, this is what makes Fantasy Football fun. Can I find a Golden Nugget amongest all the current RB scrubs? I'm trying, look at my current RB's below as of today after waivers. I dropped, Emmanuel Sanders, Brian Hartline & Andre Roberts. Might as well, I would never start them with the WR's I have.

I really like Pierce & Brown for the Eagles. Hillman is very good offensively, he has a major problem with pass protection. Not good with Manning at QB.

It's a long season. We shall see!!!

All the best to everyone.

Islanders

 
Great pre-emptive pick-up.Remember, weeks 14-16 are what count most if you are going to win your league.I have gone Rb, RB in most of the drafts over the last 20 years, this year I went Brees-Graham 1&2, so I have built a pretty good group of QB's, WR's, TE's, K, & should have taken AZ when I had the chance, but my RB's suck. Nobody want's to trade in my league, so!!!! All I can do is try and secure Rb's that I think have a chance of more playing time as the season progresses. This could be due to injury, performance, coaches decision, or teams that have play-off spots secured by week 15-16. Remember, Weeks 14-16 are when you have the play-offs to determine the Championship in your league. Tonight against the Brown's - Pierce - 6 rushes - 48 yards = 8 yards per rush. He is getting more work every week. Rice is the man! Pierce is a clear-cut # 2.For me, this is what makes Fantasy Football fun. Can I find a Golden Nugget amongest all the current RB scrubs? I'm trying, look at my current RB's below as of today after waivers. I dropped, Emmanuel Sanders, Brian Hartline & Andre Roberts. Might as well, I would never start them with the WR's I have.I really like Pierce & Brown for the Eagles. Hillman is very good offensively, he has a major problem with pass protection. Not good with Manning at QB.It's a long season. We shall see!!!All the best to everyone.Islanders
Not to jinx Rice, but you do realize Rice has missed 3 games in 3 years right? Of ALL the starting RB backups you could pick up "just in case" - Rice's aint the one you want. SJax's? Turner's? D. Murray's? Sure.
 
Great pre-emptive pick-up.Remember, weeks 14-16 are what count most if you are going to win your league.I have gone Rb, RB in most of the drafts over the last 20 years, this year I went Brees-Graham 1&2, so I have built a pretty good group of QB's, WR's, TE's, K, & should have taken AZ when I had the chance, but my RB's suck. Nobody want's to trade in my league, so!!!! All I can do is try and secure Rb's that I think have a chance of more playing time as the season progresses. This could be due to injury, performance, coaches decision, or teams that have play-off spots secured by week 15-16. Remember, Weeks 14-16 are when you have the play-offs to determine the Championship in your league. Tonight against the Brown's - Pierce - 6 rushes - 48 yards = 8 yards per rush. He is getting more work every week. Rice is the man! Pierce is a clear-cut # 2.For me, this is what makes Fantasy Football fun. Can I find a Golden Nugget amongest all the current RB scrubs? I'm trying, look at my current RB's below as of today after waivers. I dropped, Emmanuel Sanders, Brian Hartline & Andre Roberts. Might as well, I would never start them with the WR's I have.I really like Pierce & Brown for the Eagles. Hillman is very good offensively, he has a major problem with pass protection. Not good with Manning at QB.It's a long season. We shall see!!!All the best to everyone.Islanders
Not to jinx Rice, but you do realize Rice has missed 3 games in 3 years right? Of ALL the starting RB backups you could pick up "just in case" - Rice's aint the one you want. SJax's? Turner's? D. Murray's? Sure.
I will agree and hopefully he stays healthy but I can see Pierce turning into a Ben Tate type timeshare eventually. Rice will be the #1 and will be in when the game counts but Pierce will certainly start to cut into Rice's already limited rushing attempts. Doesn't mean he is worth trading, I just thought Rice would get 300-350 rush attempts and he is on pace for 245. I do think the weather will help but Foster is on pace for 421 rushes. Seems like Foster isn't going to lose as much to Tate as I thought and Houston is committed to the run something Cam Cameron is allergic to apparently.
 
and that situation is sitting on an unstartable player for 3+ years unless Rice gets hurt. I don't see his payoff as worth the roster hold for that duration. But to each his own...
Depends on the league and the cost you paid to get him. In a deep league, I'd be fine spending a 2nd-3rd round rookie pick and waiting three years for a RB if I knew he was going to be a Michael Turner/Darren Sproles/Thomas Jones type of late bloomer.
 
I like the kid. Grabbed him in my dynasty league and put him on the 'Bernard Scott' bench spot for RBs to wait on. In fact, finally dropped Scott for him.

Turner and DWill waited years for their opportunity. Turner was behind the best RB in the league. He needed to be traded. DWill split time with Foster then got the job.

Bal is similar to SD with Turner. Maybe you have to wait for Pierce to be traded.

 
I thought he looked great in college and he looks more explosive in the pros. I don't have rosters deep enough for him unfortunately.

 
I can't see Baltimore wanting to trade Pierce anytime soon. I think his only hope for the time being is an injury of some kind. If he does get his shot, He instantly elevates to RB2 status.

 
Hah! great bump, I was just using the search to see if anyone had made a thread on him yet. Found this then saw people were posting today!

I don't know about you guys, but I really like what I saw last night.

He looked like he had an explosive first move between the tackles and has some speed for a bigger back.

I like him and think hes a definite handcuff for Ray Rice.

I'm gonna try to grab him in whatever (dynasty)leagues I can.

 
You think he will get more carries this week if the Ravens turn this into a blowout?

14 Team League, 2 RB's, DMC/Doug Martin on byes...

 
You think he will get more carries this week if the Ravens turn this into a blowout? 14 Team League, 2 RB's, DMC/Doug Martin on byes...
KFFL.com has him listed as a sleeper and possible flex for this week. I'm not so sure. He's averaging something like 4 touches a game and he'd prob see 10 at the most if this turned into a blow-out. I'd have a hard time counting on him, then again I'm in the same spot as you. I'm looking towards possibly starting Woodhead/Bolden depending on how I think the DEN game will go. Yeah it sucks, there aren't many options.
 
What does everyone think about Pierce now in a dynasty league? Just got a 60/40 split with Rice last game for touches. I know there is no way he would get more touches then Rice and Rice is signed for a long time but any thoughts on Pierce?

 
I've got him on a bunch of teams. Not because I think he's a lock for stardom, but moreso because the price tag was so cheap for a third round NFL draft pick with starter upside. I got him in the 2nd round of most of my dynasty rookie drafts while guys like Hillman and Pead went in the first. When you factor in the cost, I think he was a good investment.

He's got featured back potential and I take it as a good sign that Baltimore has been making an effort to get him involved. I don't see him surpassing Rice any time soon, but as of right now he's only 21 years old. If you can afford to stash him for a couple years, he might emerge as a starter in Baltimore or elsewhere just as he's hitting his athletic prime.

 
He's similar to Robert Turbin but his pricetag is much cheaper.
Any chance he'd go all Bryce Brown on you if Rice went down?How would you rank Brown, Turbin and Pierce in dynasty right now?
Is there a chance? Sure. All three have good size and solid teams around them. I think Bryce Brown's small sample size might be skewing your opinion of him. RIght nowBrown Turbin/PierceAll three are fantastic handcuffs I think. All look like they can play and just await opportunity.
 
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Pierce just keeps getting more and more involved. I know Rice had the two fumbles today but Pierce seems to be getting more snaps and he's producing with them. This could get closer to a RBBC.

 
'Twenty-Four Eighty-Four said:
Pierce just keeps getting more and more involved. I know Rice had the two fumbles today but Pierce seems to be getting more snaps and he's producing with them. This could get closer to a RBBC.
It really is. Rice is a beast, but Pierce refuses to go down and has crazy speed.Pierce could get a decent amount of touches next year.

 
What's Rice's contract situation? The way RBs have generally been devalued if the Ravens could upgrade at another spot would they be able to trade Rice and roll with Pierce anytime soon? Or is this a Turner/DWill scenario where the backup needs to wait a few years?

 
What's Rice's contract situation? The way RBs have generally been devalued if the Ravens could upgrade at another spot would they be able to trade Rice and roll with Pierce anytime soon? Or is this a Turner/DWill scenario where the backup needs to wait a few years?
Bonus - 15Incentives - 52012 - 22013 - 82014 - 42015 - 32016 - 3He just signed his new deal. And with that signing bonus spread out over 5 years, they'd be taking a $12 million cap hit (if I understand cap rules correctly) if they cut him this offseason to avoid his $8 million salary. After 2013, his salary becomes very reasonable. It appears Ray Rice will be around for a long time.
7/16/2012: Signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The deal contains $24 million guaranteed, including a $15 million signing bonus. Another $5 million is available via an escalator clause based on rushing and receiving stats and Baltimore's offensive ranking. 2012: $2 million, 2013: $1 million (+ $7 million option bonus due in March), 2014: $4 million, 2015-2016: $3 million, 2017: Free Agent
 
What's Rice's contract situation? The way RBs have generally been devalued if the Ravens could upgrade at another spot would they be able to trade Rice and roll with Pierce anytime soon? Or is this a Turner/DWill scenario where the backup needs to wait a few years?
When's the last time a RB who had 1,600 total yards and 10 TD's was traded or cut? He just signed a new deal this offseason and isn't going anywhere. As much as the Pierce owners in dynasty leagues may be wishing for this, in the real world of the NFL, this type of thing rarely happens.
 
What's Rice's contract situation? The way RBs have generally been devalued if the Ravens could upgrade at another spot would they be able to trade Rice and roll with Pierce anytime soon? Or is this a Turner/DWill scenario where the backup needs to wait a few years?
When's the last time a RB who had 1,600 total yards and 10 TD's was traded or cut? He just signed a new deal this offseason and isn't going anywhere. As much as the Pierce owners in dynasty leagues may be wishing for this, in the real world of the NFL, this type of thing rarely happens.
Agreed. Good for Ravens, bad for fantasy. I think if you'd like a picture of what 2013 is likely to hold for Rice/Pierce, look at the carry breakdown late in the season. (Don't count week 17 as Rice basically sat out). From week 12-18:Rice 105 carriesPierce 57 carries.Its about 35%. Rice and Pierce combined to run the ball 365 times in 2012. That is down from 399 and 407 the previous two seasons. I think what this means is Rice is done as a 2000 yard guy. Probably more along the lines of 1500 going forward. Still a top RB choice, just not the dominant fantasy option he once was. Pierce won't likely be startable barring a Rice injury. Probably a 600 yard guy.
 
A trade would make sense due to Baltimore's tight cap situation and Flacco being a UFA, but that would accelerate the bonus just as would cutting him. Realistically speaking, it is impossible for the Ravens to move (cut or trade) Rice for at least 2 years and quite prohibitive for them to move him after 3.

 
Yet another thing people overlooked with the dismissal of Cam. Cam likes workhorse backs.
I have both Rice and Pierce in dynasty and like the situation. Rice is going to continue to be the primary back and is reliable, especially in PPR. But we have seen enough of Pierce now to feel confident that if Rice went down, he would be a low end RB1 and you wouldn't lose too much production. And there is no ambiguity; if Rice goes down or when he leaves the team, Pierce will be the starter. While it means that Rice may not be a top 3 RB next year, he will still be top 10, and you have some certainty behind him and in the future. Not bad.
 
Rice is going to continue to be the primary back and is reliable, especially in PPR.
Depends on who the OC is next year. It is not a given that he'll be used the same way. Cam Cameron likes to throw to his RBs. Bruce Arians doesn't. Philosophies differ, so best not to make assumptions like this.
 
For those of you who play dynasty, did anyone pick Bryce Brown before Pierce in rookie drafts? Also, who would you rather have now between the two?For me, Brown was an unknown quantity to me so I stayed away from him. I really liked Pierce but knew I could get him later after he went to Baltimore. Now I might take Brown, he really looked great the times I saw him.

 
Rice is going to continue to be the primary back and is reliable, especially in PPR.
Depends on who the OC is next year. It is not a given that he'll be used the same way. Cam Cameron likes to throw to his RBs. Bruce Arians doesn't. Philosophies differ, so best not to make assumptions like this.
You don't think Rice being good at catching out of the backfield plays into this? It's not like we saw a huge about of designed passing plays to Rice, but Flacco does love his checkdowns.
 
Rotoworld:

The Ravens' official website believes a "strong showing" from Bernard Pierce this summer could balance out the distribution of carries between he and Ray Rice.
Rice is clearly the No. 1 running back, but he's going to get "pushed" by Pierce this season. Pierce toted the rock 108 times as a rookie, compared to 257 carries for Rice. The gap is expected to narrow as Pierce enters his second season. It helps that both backs have different running styles, allowing OC Jim Caldwell to throw different looks at opposing defenses. Pierce is arguably the top backup running back to own in fantasy. His increasing role knocks Rice out of consideration as a top 5-10 fantasy pick.

Related: Ray Rice

Source: baltimoreravens.com
 
Rotoworld:

CBS Philadelphia reports Ravens RB Bernard Pierce was "robbed at gunpoint Sunday evening," and had his car stolen.
Pierce is a Temple graduate. It's a scary story, but Pierce and a friend managed to escape uninjured, while the car has already been recovered. One of the top handcuffs in all of fantasy football on the heels of his excellent rookie season, Pierce would be a sensible mid- to late-round pick for all Ray Rice owners in redraft leagues.


Source: CBS Philadelphia
 

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