In what should have been an explosive affair for rookie Giovani Bernard, the Cincinnati Bengals running back saw his backfield counterpart BenJarvus Green-Ellis get the majority of the work on Sunday. Bernard finished with 14 carries for 57 yards against the San Diego Chargers. He added a catch for nine yards to his day.
Giovani Bernard takes a backseat to BenJarvus Green-Ellis in Week 13
Giovani Bernard managed 66 yards from the line of scrimmage in Week 13. We take a look at the fantasy implications.
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Green-Ellis saw 20 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown along with a catch for three yards. Bernard played well when given the opportunity. He simply didn’t get opportunities in the red zone, and Green-Ellis was heavily utilized to eat clock as the Bengals tried to keep a firm grip on their lead throughout the game. The Chargers couldn’t stop Green-Ellis enough to justify exposing Bernard more than necessary.
Fantasy impact: Fantasy owners had to be slightly disappointed by Bernard’s mediocre stat line. Chalk it up as an exception rather than the norm. Bernard’s number of carries were what owners should expect on a weekly basis, but his absence in the passing game is what limited his overall yardage totals.
Cincinnati was simply doing everything it could to keep the ball moving on the ground with quarterback Andy Dalton struggling early in the game. Bernard should be considered a low-end RB2 with upside every week moving forward. He faces the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14 and should be started in all formats.
