Bengals-Texans fantasy projections: Look out for Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, Alfred Blue

The Week 12 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans features two teams with solid running games. We've got the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.

There is good news in Cincinnati has wide receiver A.J. Green says he finally feels like he's back to his old self again after struggling with a toe injury for much of the first half of the year. Green caught 6 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the New Orleans Saints, marking the second time in three games he's managed to find the end zone. When he's healthy, Green is one of the best receivers in the NFL, so his fantasy owners have to feel good about starting him against the Texans this week, the team that gives him more fantasy points to wide receivers than any other team in the league.

Should the Bengals somehow struggle to get him the ball, their running game will get plenty of opportunities. The big question is what to make of the return of running back Giovani Bernard. With rookie Jeremy Hill playing very well in his absence it remains to be seen which of the two running backs will perform better moving forward. Bernard is likely to be worked back in relatively slowly, particularly with Hill playing so well.

With Pro Bowl-caliber running back Arian Foster (groin) considered to be a game-time decision for the game against the Bengals, it looks like rookie Alfred Blue may again be a very busy man in Week 12. Blue helped fantasy owners big time last week and how could he not after carrying the ball 36 times for 156 yards rushing. Although he probably won't see upwards of 35 carries against the Bengals, if Foster indeed misses the game, Blue will be the team's most reliable chain mover.

When quarterback Ryan Mallett goes to the air, DeAndre Hopkins will have to step up big time. He is a very talented receiver capable of racking up both yards and receptions when he's on his game, but the Cleveland Browns kept him in check last week. Hopkins did catch four passes for 80 yards in the contest, but 41 of those yards came on one play. The Bengals have uncharacteristically given up way more points this season than the coaching staff would like however, so Hopkins may indeed be in for a big day at Reliant Stadium this time around.