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Nobody Saw Forsett Coming... But There's No Denying He's Here

Written By Bob Harris | fantasy football | Posted 26-Oct-14 @ 1:13 PT

As ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley put it, "Justin Forsett is leading the Baltimore Ravens in rushing. Who saw that coming?"

The short answer is "nobody."

When Forsett signed for the veteran minimum in April, he joined his fourth team in four seasons. Now, he's the fourth-leading rusher in the NFL.

Look at the current rushing leaders after seven games: DeMarco Murray, Arian Foster, Le'Veon Bell and. ... Forsett. He has more rushing yards than LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte and Marshawn Lynch.

Forsett is 117 yards from setting a single-season career high, which currently stands as a modest total of 619 yards in 2009.

His 5.78 yards per carry tops the NFL among running backs. His seven runs of 20 yards or more is tied for first in the NFL, although Murray has 100 more attempts.

How much is this production a result of the scheme and how much is it Forsett having a great season?

"I think it's the offensive line," Forsett said. "They've done a heck of a job of executing, getting that cutback side and stretching that defense. I'm just able to find holes."

According to Hensley, Forsett will play a big role in today's game against the Bengals.

While few expected this type of success for the Ravens' running game, no one saw the demise of the Bengals' run defense coming.

The Bengals rank 30th in run defense after ranking No. 5 last season. Since Week 3, the Bengals have given up an average of 171.7 yards per game on the ground. Only the Carolina Panthers have given up more during that stretch.

Expect the Ravens to test the Bengals' run defense. The Ravens are 5-0 this season when they gain more than 120 yards rushing.

And look for Forsett to continue being plenty busy -- certainly enough so to suit fantasy owners.