Week 3 at Carolina Panthers
Giovani Bernard will get his first start of the season as starter Joe Mixon will be on the shelf for an undefined period with a slight tear in his meniscus. Mixon tried to play through the pain last week so Bernard was limited to 10 touches for 42 yards. Expect those totals to rise as he will be a three-down back in Mixon's absence. We saw this last year with Bernard, who put up some big fantasy numbers down the stretch of the 2017 season with injuries to other Bengals backs.
Bernard will face a Carolina defense ranked second in aFPA to running backs. Despite the tough matchup, we feel Bernard's workload will carry him to a very good fantasy performance for Week 3. Start Bernard as a low-end RB1 and expect at least 20 touches for the veteran this Sunday.
Week 1 at Indianapolis Colts
Giovani Bernard is clearly the No. 2 back in Cincinnati and that's good and bad. He should get his share of third-down touches, but second-year running back Joe Mixon is clearly the workhorse. Also, with Jeremy Hill out of the picture, that makes Bernard even more valuable.
Even with a good matchup against a below-average Colts run defense, Bernard will not see enough of the ball to have any kind of impact Week 1. Although, he does carry more value in PPR leagues. Keep Bernard on the bench for the opener against the Colts.
Fantasy Upside
Giovani Bernard was basically used as the third-down back and held some value in PPR leagues last season. However, he was made the feature back the last five weeks of the season because of injuries to other runners on the team and he averaged almost 20 touches per game. He should be used more as the No. 2 back on the team this season.
Fantasy Downside
Cincinnati will rely heavily on Joe Mixon in 2018, which means Bernard could see only about five touches per game. He still has the ability to be an every-down running back, but will probably not get the opportunity.
2018 Bottom Line
Bernard should be drafted only for depth in standard scoring leagues, but he could have some value as an RB3 in PPR leagues. His ADP is 123, making him, at best, a late-round pick.
Week 17 at Baltimore Ravens
We thought Joe Mixon would return last week and take away Giovani Bernard's touches. But Bernard ended up with 30 touches and 168 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He is nursing a sore ankle but is expected to play. If Mixon is limited, it could be another high workload for Bernard.
Cincy faces the Ravens this week, who are 25th in aFPA to running backs. We expect Bernard to get enough touches to be a fantasy factor. Start him as a solid RB2 for Week 17.
Week 15 at Minnesota Vikings
Giovanni Bernard did receive 15+ touches for the second straight week so he should remain the primary back. He recorded 130 yards from scrimmage which is an impressive number considering how bad Cincinnati's offense was last week against Chicago.
Bernard is nursing a sore knee but should play. But the matchup is not a good one against the Vikings, who are ranked sixth in aFPA to running backs. We still expect Bernard to carry the workload so there will be some production there, but only enough to rank him as a solid RB2 for Week 15.
Week 14 vs. Chicago Bears
With Joe Mixon out (concussion), Giovani Bernard takes over as the No. 1 running back in Cincinnati. He looked outstanding against the Steelers on Monday and appears to be fully recovered from last year's injury. He averaged almost 6 yards per carry and had 96 yards from scrimmage.
Bernard will face a Bears defense ranked fourth in aFPA to running backs. Even with a tough matchup, we expect him to see 20+ carries, so feel free to start him as a solid RB2.
Week 10 at Tennessee Titans
Giovani Bernard played only 28% of the snaps last week which might be a telling sign of his usage for the rest of the season. Right now, it's rookie RB Joe Mixon's show. Bernard has very little fantasy value right now.
Week 9 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Giovani Bernard played a season-low 25% of the snaps last week as the Bengals gravitate to giving Joe Mixon more time on the field. Bernard has had some value as depth, but that seems to be eroding.
Even with a decent matchup against Jacksonville, Bernard should not be in a fantasy lineup for Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Giovani Bernard hasn't been getting touches but he still is getting on the field. He actually played more snaps than rookie Joe Mixon, but the results just aren't there. Bernard hasn't had more than three carries the last four games. Three receptions has been his season-high as well and that is where Bernard has usually shown value.
The Bengals seems committed to Mixon and that doesn't fare well for Bernard, even with a great matchup against the Colts poor defense. But as a long as he keeps getting on the field, we will at least keep an eye on Bernard. Keep him on the bench for Week 8.
Week 5 vs. Buffalo Bills
Giovani Bernard has not put up any significant numbers, although he did have a 61-yard TD reception last week against Cleveland. He is entrenched as the backup to Joe Mixon, but we are starting to see Mixon be more involved in the passing game where Bernard has been the targeted Bengal back for QB Andy Dalton.
Bernard played 33% of the snaps which means he is still seeing the field, but his results haven't been anything to consider him for your lineup against a pretty good run defense in Buffalo. Keep Bernard on the bench as depth for Week 5.
