Giovani Bernard, Martavis Bryant, More Fantasy Reaction from Steelers vs Bengals

In a game where the two teams combined for 239 penalty yards, the Pittsburgh Steelers' 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals didn't provide fantasy football owners with many surprises.

Both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell performed as expected for the Steelers, while A.J. Green had two touchdown receptions. Outside of that trio of stars, few players rose above the fantasy fray.

Giovani Bernard, Martavis Bryant and Tyler Kroft were among those who delivered marginal returns Monday night.

Giovani Bernard

Bernard was Cincinnati's leading rusher, going for 77 yards on 13 carries. He also caught two passes for 19 yards on three targets.

Bernard has largely been a disappointment in 2017. Entering Monday, his 3.6 yards per game and 19.9 receiving yards per game were on pace to be career lows.

The fifth-year running back may have a larger role in the Bengals offense in Week 14, though, after Cincinnati confirmed Joe Mixon suffered a concussion against the Steelers.

ESPN.com's Mike Clay thought Bernard was deserving of more touches already:

Mixon may recover in time to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Should the concussion rule the rookie out for the matchup, Bernard could be a waiver target for running back-needy fantasy owners.

Martavis Bryant

Bryant finished with four receptions for 40 yards on six targets.

Bryant's Week 12 performance (four receptions, 40 yards and one touchdown) may have gotten some fantasy owners excited prior to Monday night, since Cincinnati's pass defense is in the middle of the pack. Instead, Bryant put together another forgettable showing.

Although the 25-year-old has boatloads of potential, he hasn't been the dynamic downfield threat that made him a fantasy threat in his first two seasons. At this point, there's little reason to expect anything to change between now and the end of the year.

Keeping Bryant on the bench as a contingency plan in the hope something clicks for him makes some sense. There's no reason to add him to your starting lineup, though, until he shows some consistency.

Tyler Kroft

Kroft saw just two targets, going for 30 yards on two catches.

Tyler Eifert's season-ending back injury opened a door for Kroft to become an important member of the Bengals passing game. Beyond his Week 4 performance (six receptions for 68 yards and two touchdowns), Kroft has rarely been much of a fantasy factor.

So much of Kroft's value is tied to whether he finds the end zone. Even as a tight end, he doesn't see enough targets on a weekly basis to survive on his receiving yards alone—and his catches in point-per-reception leagues.

Beyond being a streaming option with the right matchup, Kroft doesn't warrant much consideration as a waiver-wire addition.