Houston Texans: Sit Dameon Pierce against the Ravens in fantasy football

With fantasy football season right around the corner, many managers are eagerly drafting their teams and ensuring that the right players will be in play for their week one matchup. Sometimes these decisions are tough ones for managers. 

Projecting fantasy output is not a clear science, but there are methods and tricks to follow in order to ensure the best possible scenario. Opposing defenses are key factors to consider and for this reason, starting running back Dameon Pierce should be avoided if you have a better option waiting on the bench. 

This doesn’t discount Pierce’s ability on the ground. The Houston Texans star is going off draft boards in the fourth round or earlier in many fantasy drafts and will be a serviceable back throughout the course of the season. It mainly just speaks volumes to how impactful the Texans' week one opponent was at stopping the run last season. 

The Baltimore Ravens have always been known for their stingy defenses and prowess against the run and that didn’t change in 2022. The team finished last season as the third-best defense, due in large part to their ability to stifle opposing run games. 

Baltimore allowed the fourth fewest rush yards and sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2022 according to Yahoo’s Alex Butler. With many of the same impact contributors returning this season, expect the Ravens' run defense to continue its stretch of dominance. 

Pierce’s impact in fantasy largely depends on the output of the Texans' offense and the efficiency of the Texans' defense. Rookie signal-caller C.J. Stroud will be making his debut and if the team quickly falls behind in the scoring column there is the risk that the run game will be abandoned altogether. 

With uncertainties on a workload against Baltimore, starting another option at the running back position may not be the worst idea.

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