Lorenzo Taliaferro is a 226 pound fourth-round rookie out of Coastal Carolina and is a bruising running back with the kind of power to move the pile and punish would-be-tacklers. He’s fighting for a spot on the depth chart right now, but he has young and powerful legs on a roster that struggled running the ball last year.
Fantasy Upside
If the rest of the running backs on the Ravens depth chart struggle, Head Coach John Harbaugh won’t hesitate to throw Taliaferro into the mix. He showed the kind of power that was expected of him against the 49ers in the pre-season and he proved he has a nose for the end zone in college, scoring 27 touchdowns in his final season. Taliaferro has the kind of one-cut ability to excel in the Ravens’ new zone blocking scheme, and he’s a decisive runner who plays angry.
Fantasy Downside
As a fourth round rookie, entering the season fourth on the depth chart, it’s very possible that Taliaferro doesn’t get any playing time at all this season. While he was productive at Coastal Carolina, he’s also a player who doesn’t have any traits that pop out at you. He’s a powerful runner, but he doesn’t have unusual size. He can hit the hole quickly, but nobody is confusing his speed or agility with that of Jamaal Charles. Taliaferro is a just a productive runner with good vision. If the Ravens running game improves at all this year, the rookie could be looking from the outside in.
Bottom Line
Taliaferro isn’t worth drafting at this point unless you’re in a very deep league with a large number of roster spots where you can stash dynasty players. Even then, he’s risky. He’ll likely make the roster, but unless there are multiple injuries in front of him, or if last season proves not to be a fluke for starter Ray Rice and backup Bernard Pierce, Taliaferro will likely be an afterthought. He’s an intriguing option to keep an eye on after the season starts, but his opportunity is too limited to warrant serious fantasy consideration at this time.
