GiovaniBernard

News: 1 day agoBernard registered a three-yard gain on his lone rush attempt, also corralling five of his seven targets for 22 receiving yards during Thursday's 35-30 loss to Cleveland.

Spin: PPR scoring has been favorable for Bernard's fantasy value given his nine catches through two weeks, but the 28-year-old back stands at just 53 scrimmage yards in the early going of 2020. That yardage total is perhaps not surprising given how much of a workhorse Joe Mixon is, totaling 19.6 offensive touches per game last year and a near-equivalent 20 touches per game so far this season. Bernard is expected to continue getting multiple looks from Joe Burrow each week coming out of the backfield, but his value is capped because of a lack of overall involvement and scoring opportunities. Bernard has one red-zone touch heading into a Week 3 matchup against an Eagles defense that is tied for a league-low five receptions allowed to opposing running backs.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Bernard is a change-of-pace and passing-down complement to Joe Mixon in Cincinnati. The 28-year-old has been a solid presence throughout his seven-year NFL career, but his fantasy contributions have declined significantly the past four seasons. A top-20 back in both targets and fantasy points in his first three seasons, Bernard ranked 32nd in targets in 2020 and has one top-40 fantasy season in the past four campaigns. Bernard would need a Mixon injury to approach fantasy relevance, and even then, he's likely to operate in a timeshare.