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Giovani Bernard | Running Back | #25

Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Age / DOB:  (25) / 11/22/1991
Ht / Wt:  5'9' / 205
College: North Carolina
Drafted: 2013 / Rd. 2 (37) / CIN
Contract: view contract details
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Recent News

Giovani Bernard was a full participant on the first day of Bengals camp.
The Bengals' website suggested in mid-June that Gio might miss "the first couple regular season games," but it appears Bernard recovered quicker than expected. Bernard tore his ACL late last November, so his timeline went about as fast as ACL recoveries can possibly go. The Bengals will likely use all of training camp to sort out their running back depth chart, where Bernard, rookie Joe Mixon, and Jeremy Hill are all competing for snaps. Jul 28 - 3:53 PM

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Date:
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard (ACL) avoided the Bengals' active/PUP list to begin camp.

It means Bernard is ineligible for the reserve/PUP list, and the Bengals anticipate him playing early in the year. Offseason beat writer reports had Gio in danger of missing "the first couple of regular season games," but that hasn't been determined. Bernard's fantasy ADP has tumbled to the extent that he's very much worth a late flier in PPR leagues. Bernard's ceiling remains severely capped by Joe Mixon and Jeremy Hill's presences, however.
Jul 28 - 1:25 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson hinted Giovani Bernard (ACL) could be held out of the "first couple of regular season games."

It's plugged-in speculation from Hobson, one of the best team website writers in the business. "I imagine they don’t want to rush (Bernard) back into the first couple of regular-season games," wrote Hobson, who suggested Joe Mixon could open the season playing on passing downs. Hobson said he does expect Bernard to avoid the reserve/PUP list. Hobson added Mixon "has been pretty impressive" at spring practices. Gio is working off to the side while rehabbing his Week 11 ACL tear.
Source: bengals.com
Jun 12 - 8:13 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard (ACL) is working to the side at the beginning of OTAs.

ESPN Bengals reporter Katherine Terrell reported Bernard would get in limited work during OTAs, but it looks like he will be relegated to the rehab field for now along with Tyler Eifert (back). Bernard still looks on track to return around Week 1.
Source: Geoff Hobson on Twitter
May 23 - 11:47 AM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

ESPN Bengals reporter Katherine Terrell reports Giovani Bernard (ACL) is expected to get in limited work during OTAs.

It is surprising considering he is just six months removed from tearing his ACL, but the definition of limited work could simply be individual drills run at less than full speed. That said, Bernard's recovery appears to be on schedule if not ahead, and there is a good chance he is ready to go by Week 1. Bernard will have to compete with second-round pick Joe Mixon for passing-down work.
Source: Katherine Terrell on Twitter
May 22 - 12:21 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com believes Giovani Bernard (ACL) will avoid the PUP list to start next season.

Bernard tore his ACL last November and seems to be on schedule with his recovery. At worst, Hobson thinks Bernard could miss one or two games to start the season. The Bengals still have Jeremy Hill, but they'll need more depth with Bernard on the mend and backups Rex Burkhead and Cedric Peerman headed for free agency. Running back could be a position the Bengals address in the draft.
Source: bengals.com
Feb 19 - 9:19 AM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 against the Bills.

This one comes out of left field. We didn't even notice Bernard go down in Sunday's loss, and he touched the ball 12 times and saw eight targets. It had to happen near the end of the game. The Bengals' season may be ending before our eyes, losing both A.J. Green (hamstring) and Bernard. Bernard's year ends with a 91-337-2 rushing line, averaging a career-low 3.7 YPC. He also caught 39 balls for 336 yards and another score. Look for Rex Burkhead to take over some pass-down work behind Jeremy Hill, but Hill is a candidate to see a big-time role increase. Bernard signed a four-year deal back in June.
Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Sun, Nov 20, 2016 10:10:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed seven times for 21 yards and caught 5-of-8 targets for 40 yards in the Bengals' Week 11 loss to the Bills.

He was out-touched by Jeremy Hill 18 to 12. While it was nice to see the Bengals re-involve Bernard in the passing game, he also had a drop on a wheel-route attempt and his usage as a receiver has been frustratingly inconsistent all year. The Bengals are desperately going to need more from Gio in the absence of A.J. Green (hamstring), who seems likely to miss multiple weeks. Regardless, Bernard will be a weak RB2 bet in Week 12 against Baltimore.
Sun, Nov 20, 2016 04:34:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed seven times for 17 yards and caught 3-of-5 targets for 19 yards in the Bengals' Week 10 loss to the Giants.

Bernard came back to Earth after scoring touchdowns in Weeks 7 and 8 before last week's bye. He hasn't done much on the ground all season and looked way overmatched as a runner on Monday night. The offense ran much smoother with Jeremy Hill in the backfield, though he wasn't a marked improvement with just 46 yards and a score on 15 totes. Bernard will be on the flex radar next week in a home date with the Bills, but his touchdown upside is minimal.
Tue, Nov 15, 2016 12:09:00 AM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown and added 14 yards on one catch Week 8 against the Redskins.

After dominating the backfield work for several weeks, Gio took something of a backseat to Jeremy Hill in this game. He still managed to find the end zone from eight yards out in the first quarter, and he had several chunk plays both on the ground and through the air. Bernard is not as exciting a fantasy option with Hill taking on a bigger role, but he will still be a FLEX play against the Giants after the bye.
Sun, Oct 30, 2016 02:43:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed 17 times for 80 yards and one touchdown in the Bengals' Week 7 win over the Browns.

He added one catch for seven yards. Jeremy Hill had the huge numbers with 168 yards and one touchdown, but Bernard actually out-carried Hill 17-9 in this one. Hill set up Bernard's early five-yard touchdown with a 40-yard run on the play before. Bernard has been getting more work than Hill for the past few weeks. Both are RB2 plays in a plus date with the Redskins in Week 8.
Sun, Oct 23, 2016 04:50:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed 15 times for 49 yards and caught 4-of-5 targets for 45 yards Week 6 against the Patriots.

Bernard got the start and out-snapped Jeremy Hill for the second week in a row, but he also shockingly got the goal-line work against the Patriots. Perhaps Hill's lingering chest injury is to blame, but he looked healthy enough when he was on the field. It has become clear Bernard is the No. 1 back in Cincinnati. That puts him in the RB2 conversation next week against the Browns.
Sun, Oct 16, 2016 05:34:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed nine times for 50 yards and caught 6-of-6 targets for 46 yards in the Bengals' Week 5 loss to Dallas.

The fantasy results were rather pedestrian. The big story is that Bernard started over Jeremy Hill, who was held to 12 yards on four carries. Bernard brings far more versatility to the table than one-dimensional Hill and would be a superior option as a lead back moving forward. We'll see if it continues in Week 6 in Foxboro, where the Patriots hemorrhage receptions to running backs.
Sun, Oct 9, 2016 07:27:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed 10 times for 18 yards in the Bengals' Week 4 win over the Dolphins, catching 3-of-4 targets for 24 additional yards.

The Dolphins had an attackable run defense on paper, but the Bengals turned 37 carries into a woeful 77 yards (2.08 YPC). Bernard had the best play out of the backfield, an acrobatic 13-yard catch down to the Dolphins' two-yard line, but could only watch as Jeremy Hill failed to convert two goal-line carries. Bernard is doing his thing and not much more this season. Through four games, he's on pace for 932 yards from scrimmage, which would easily be a career low. The pace will pick up, but not enough to get Bernard on the RB2 radar in standard leagues.
Thu, Sep 29, 2016 11:44:00 PM
Giovani Bernard - RB - Bengals

Giovani Bernard rushed five times for eight yards and caught 5-of-5 targets for 36 yards in the Bengals' Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

Jeremy Hill (17-97-2) dominated the backfield work early, and Gio never got going even in a seemingly reasonable spot for OC Ken Zampese to feature him against a stout Broncos defensive front. Bernard is locked into a running back committee, which is going to render his fantasy production volatile week to week. He'll be a shaky flex option next Thursday night against Miami.
Sun, Sep 25, 2016 04:41:00 PM