Bengals: Giovani Bernard is a must-start in fantasy this week

Cincinnati Bengals’ running back Giovani Bernard is a must-start in fantasy football this week as the club takes on the Tennessee Titans.

If you’re a big fan of fantasy football, you’re well aware that Paul Brown Stadium is home to a number of big-time fantasy players. Most notably, Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and Tyler Boyd secure plenty of wins in the fantasy realm week in and week out. However, there’s a new contributor set to make a big impact for a second-straight week: running back Giovani Bernard.

The eight-year veteran is slated to get the start in week eight with Mixon recovering from a foot injury. He played admirably in Mixon’s absence a week ago, accounting for 96 yards from scrimmage and scoring once. That was good enough for 15.6 points in non-PPR leagues.

There’s no reason to think he can’t piece together another strong performance in a favorable matchup against a Tennessee Titans squad that ranks 22nd in the league in points forfeited to running backs.

The Bengals’ gameplan could revolve entirely around Giovani Bernard

Cincinnati is slated to be without three of their starting offensive linemen on Sunday. On the surface, that should be enough to keep Bernard on the bench. However, when considering how the Bengals might gameplan to mask the injury concerns, the upside becomes evident.

Zac Taylor and co. are going to do everything they can to keep Burrow healthy. Although the Titans don’t have a pass-rush to call home about, any team that starts three backups is likely to forfeit some serious pressure.

To keep their rookie signal-caller out of harm’s way, expect the Bengals to give the ball early and often to Bernard to keep the edge rushers at bay and establish the ground game.

Plus, you can rest assured the Titans are going to test Burrow’s ability to read the blitz. Knowing Taylor, he’ll almost assuredly call numerous screens in an attempt to catch Tennessee sending the house, opening up the potential for Bernard to rip off a big play.

All in all, Bernard has some serious potential heading into the week. As Cincinnati’s main back, he should get the start in most fantasy scenarios.