The Ravens announced that they have released running back Ray Rice after further video of his domestic violence incident surfaced earlier on Monday. While the topic remains a sensitive one, there are immediate implications from both a real and fantasy football standpoint.
Rice's departure means Justin Forsett moves up the ranks of the Ravens running game. Forsett took over Sunday for Bernard Pierce after the latter was benched for fumbling and led the team with 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Forsett added another 14 yards on five receptions and appears to be in line to be Baltimore's starter for Thursday night's contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That doesn't mean Bernard Pierce is completely out of the mix. The third-year back was productive throughout the preseason and was expected to challenge Rice for the starting job in 2014. If he is truly demoted to the No. 2 running back spot, it might not spell the end of his fantasy value for this season, but it will certainly put a dent in what fantasy owners should expect from him. In the meantime, Forsett should be the preferred running back target off the waiver wire.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.
