Giovani Bernard (RB, CIN) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

September 16, 2019

With lead running back Joe Mixon injured and struggling, Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is a solid speculative add for future value.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team PPR leagues

OWNED IN: 13% of leagues

ANALYSIS: The Cincinnati Bengals run game has struggled mightily out of the gate and No. 2 running back Giovani Bernard has been just about as ineffective as starter Joe Mixon, but Bernard could have a good chance at receiving more of a workload going forward, especially if Mixon's ankle injury continues to bother him.

Through two games, Mixon has 17 carries for 27 yards, good for just 1.6 yards per carry. Bernard hasn't been much better with 13 carries for 27 yards, averaging 2.1 yards per carry. Bernard, however, is the only back of the two who has broken a solid gain on the receiving front as he had a 35-yard reception in Week 1.

Bernard has shown in the past then when he's the lead back, he can produce like a high-end RB2. Last year, Mixon missed only two games and during those two games, Bernard had 130 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns as well as nine catches for 52 yards. The Bengals' run game might not be as strong this year as it has been in years passed, but Bernard should still be a very capable starter should Mixon end up missing time while dealing with this ankle injury. Bernard is especially valuable in PPR when he's getting a big workload, so he should be added in all deep PPR leagues of 14 or more teams. In all other formats, keep an eye on Mixon's status going forward and if there's any indication he'll miss time, add Bernard in a heartbeat.