Fantasy Fallout: Kenneth Dixon's time is now with Justin Forsett forced out
Here are the fantasy repercussions of the Baltimore Ravens cutting ties with RB Justin Forsett:
Kenneth Dixon's time to shine
It's unclear whether this was the plan along, but Forsett's departure from Baltimore coincides perfectly with rookie Kenneth Dixon's return from a knee injury that cost him the first four games of the season. Dixon is expected to see his first game action Sunday against the visiting Washington Redskins, though it's uncertain just how many snaps he'll play.
Baltimore made the Louisiana Tech standout a fourth-round pick in this year's draft, and he should have no trouble rising to the top of what has been a mediocre depth chart. If he's still available in your season-long leagues, you need to make him your No. 1 roster priority - and that means committing at least half of your remaining FAAB budget to a claim.
It will be a bit of a shame if Dixon doesn't see a full workload this weekend; the Redskins are allowing a whopping 4.9 yards per carry through Week 4, while allowing a league high-tying eight touchdowns on the ground. As long as Dixon stays healthy, he should be the No. 1 back on the team moving forward - and that makes him a high-end RB2 with room to move up.
West the best of the backups
Terrance West, your days as a starter are probably nigh. West earned himself the start in Week 4 and was one of the top fantasy running backs of the week, piling up 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. But despite this performance, and a solid preseason showing, West will likely find himself as the second option on the depth chart after this week.
Even though head coach John Harbaugh insists that the Ravens will ride the hot hand, it's hard to envision a scenario in which Dixon remains on the bench in favor of West. The rookie is the better runner, and once he's back at full strength he should easily be able to handle a bellcow workload. West is worth FLEX play consideration or a daily fantasy tournament look this week.
Buck is out of luck
Just as he was at the start of the season, Buck Allen is the odd man out. He'll have to settle for third-string duties behind Dixon and West, and that means zero value in the majority of fantasy formats. Allen saw his first action of the regular season last weekend, but had just five touches and could only manage 28 yards with them.
Allen is droppable in all leagues, and should be ignored completely in daily fantasy until further notice. While there's always a chance either Dixon or West could suffer an injury - and the release of Forsett does bump Allen up a spot in the overall running back pecking order - you can do a lot more with your roster spot than to hang onto him.