Giovani Bernard (RB, CIN) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 45% of Yahoo! Leagues

ANALYSIS: Is Giovani Bernard is still available in your fantasy league? Bernard had been a popular add while Joe Mixon was missing time with a concussion, but Mixon's return for Week 16 meant that Bernard was expected to return to irrelevance. That didn't happen, as Mixon suffered an ankle injury early against the Lions and Bernard ended up having his best fantasy game of the season. There doesn't seem to be any word about Mixon's status for next week, but the smart thing for the Bengals to do would be to rest the rookie to make sure he goes into the off-season without injuring himself more than he already has.

Enough about Mixon, though. Let's talk about why Gio Bernard is a good play in Week 17. If Mixon is out, Bernard will be in line to receive the bulk of the touches out of the back field for the Bengals. He's dangerous as both a runner and a receiver as evidenced by his Week 16 line--23 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown, and seven catches for 52 yards. Cincinnati plays on the road against the Ravens this week, a team that's allowing almost 20 points to opposing running backs per game. There are good signs here.

Of all the players who on waivers in at least 50% of leagues, Bernard looks like the one with the best chance of winning fantasy players their leagues this week. He's got a proven track record of success this season and the Bengals have shown that they aren't afraid to give him a full workload. In Marvin Lewis's final game as the Bengals head coach, look for Bernard to put up big numbers, even if the rest of the team struggles.