Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill Post-Week 11 Fantasy Advice

Split backfields are nightmares for fantasy football owners who are attempting to predict which running back will break out during any given game, but the Cincinnati Bengals’ two ball-carriers both came through during Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard put up impressive numbers against an Arizona defense that was third in the league in yards allowed per game entering Sunday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the final tallies for Hill and Bernard as well as some fantasy reactions, as well as a highlight video from Sunday's contest:

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Total Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
6	18	8	128	0	10	14.6

The fact that Bernard saw fewer carries (six) than Andy Dalton (eight) is concerning, especially since it was the fourth time in five games that Bernard received fewer than 10 handoffs. The decrease in Bernard's workload has become a pattern ever since he notched at least 13 carries in four straight games earlier this year.

The lack of touchdowns is also an issue for the runner (only two this year), but he demonstrated his ceiling as a receiving threat Sunday.

Bernard’s 10 targets against Arizona were more than any other Cincinnati pass-catcher except superstar receiver A.J. Green. The former North Carolina Tar Heels star set a season high with 43 receiving yards in Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans, and he built on that momentum Sunday with a new high mark for 2015.

He even did most of the work, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

As long as Dalton continues to see Bernard as a serious threat in the open field, there will be an opportunity for fantasy points in the passing game even if the carry totals remain low. Those chances alone make Bernard worthy of flex consideration moving forward.

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Total Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
13	45	0	0	2	0	16.5

Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer suggested it has been a boom-or-bust season for Hill:

All seven of Hill’s rushing touchdowns in 2015 have come in three games (two against the Oakland Raiders in the season opener, three against the Kansas City Chiefs and two Sunday), which means fantasy owners have been on a roller-coaster ride.

Hill saw only 13 carries in a back-and-forth game during which the Bengals weren’t in comeback mode until the stretch run, but he did have more carries than Bernard, providing fantasy owners with some optimism. Hill saw the ball at the goal line and cashed in twice, which is music to the ears of those who are hoping those chances come more often during the season’s stretch run.

The roles are becoming defined for Bernard and Hill, with the latter serving as a bulldozer up the middle and the former being a shifty receiving threat. That will likely lead to more action near the end zone for Hill.

The one major downside with Hill’s game is his invisibility in the passing attack, which was on full display Sunday (no targets). He has only eight catches for 40 yards and one score on the season and likely won’t provide much fantasy value in the passing game for the rest of the year.

Ultimately, fantasy owners would be better off if they could combine the two Bengals running backs, with Hill’s power near the goal line and Bernard’s ability to open up the passing attack. The split backfield makes it difficult to trust either on a week-to-week basis, even after the impressive performances Sunday.

Still, running back has been such an unpredictable position this year with injuries (Le’Veon Bell, Marshawn Lynch and Jamaal Charles) and poor performances (C.J. Anderson and Eddie Lacy) that there is room for both in fantasy starting lineups across the country based on upside alone. Just don’t expect double-digit points every week.