Giovani Bernard's Updated 2013 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 3

Many football fans were surprised when the Cincinnati Bengals made Giovani Bernard the first running back selected in the 2013 NFL draft at No. 37 ahead of highly-touted players such as Montee Ball and Eddie Lacy. Through the first two weeks of his NFL career, though, Bernard is already proving worthy of his lofty draft position.

Bernard experienced his coming-out party on Monday night in Cincinnati's 20-10 win over the AFC North division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Bernard's yardage numbers were somewhat modest as he rushed for 38 yards and picked up another 27 through the air, but he found paydirt twice.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Bernard is in good company when it comes to rookies scoring multiple touchdowns against the Steelers on the Monday-night stage.

While Bernard's touches were limited, he showed just how explosive he can be. After touching the ball just five times in Cincinnati's season-opening loss against the Chicago Bears, Bernard had nine touches on Monday, and he made the most of them.

Bernard averaged 4.8 yards per carry against the Steelers along with a red-zone touchdown. He had just one catch on the night, but he flashed his immense potential as he took a short pass 27 yards to the house thanks to his blinding speed.

The North Carolina product's versatility is going to come in handy for the Bengals this season, especially after accomplishing a feat that no Bengals rookie has since 1989.

There is little doubt that Bernard has game-breaking ability, but limited usage could hold him back. He is averaging nearly seven yards per touch over the season's first two weeks, though, and he clearly has a nose for the end zone as well. Head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will be forced to take off the training wheels in the near future.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is also an obstacle standing in Bernard's way on his quest for fantasy relevance. Although "Law Firm" rushed for a career-high 1,094 yards last season, he was a plodder to say the least. Green-Ellis averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, and he has been even worse in that regard early in 2013 with a 2.8 yards-per-carry average through two contests.

Green-Ellis scored a touchdown in Week 1 against the Bears, though, and he was given 22 carries on Monday night. He picked up 75 yards for a yards-per-carry average of 3.4, so he clearly improved from Week 1 to Week 2, but he simply isn't the long-term answer.

Anyone with a hint of football knowledge can clearly see that Bernard is the more explosive and effective player. The Bengals have babied him thus far, but it seems like it is only a matter of time before Bernard pulls even with or surpasses Green-Ellis on the depth chart.

One promising thing that seems to point toward Bernard gaining trust with the coaching staff is the fact that he was used in the red zone. Green-Ellis is generally considered to be Cincinnati's go-to guy in short-yardage and red zone situations, but Bernard proved capable of thriving in the scoring area as well.

The Bengals will face a Green Bay Packers defense that is in the middle of the pack in terms of stopping the run so far this season as they have allowed 99 yards per contest. Based on quarterback Aaron Rodgers' explosion for 480 passing yards against the Washington Redskins in Week 2, though, the Bengals are likely to rely on the running game in an effort to keep Rodgers on the sidelines as much as possible.

Green-Ellis will be a beneficiary of that strategy, but so will Bernard. Since the Packers will do everything in their power to increase the tempo of the game, Cincinnati may feel some pressure to make big plays. With that in mind, Bernard is likely to get a much longer look in Week 3, especially on the heels of a two-touchdown performance.

Bernard still isn't an automatic fantasy starter due to Green-Ellis' presence, but he is a very strong flex play in Week 3, and it can be argued that he is a low-end No. 2 running back as well. Start him with confidence in Week 3, but play it by ear moving forward until he touches the ball with more consistency.

Week 3 Projection: 65 rushing yards, 4 receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown

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