Germie

Bernard

This wasn’t a big day for Bernard, but it wasn’t a big day for the Steelers’ passing attack either. Pittsburgh was able to control this game on the ground and with its defense. The good news for Bernard is that he was second on the team in targets and ran a route on 22 of Aaron Rodgers’ 26 dropbacks. Bernard is going to be more valuable in PPR leagues because of his shorter route tree, but he should be rostered in most formats given his ability and role.

Aaron Rodgers was focused on hitting his halfbacks out of the backfield much more than his wideouts, and Bernard was unable to get much done outside of a 20-yard reception. The rookie wideout had gone over 80 yards in his last two games, but this shows the volatility in Bernard’s fantasy profile as a rookie. He’ll look to bounce back against the Browns in Week 8.

Bernard began the game with a potentially catastrophic blunder by moving the chains on first down, only to run back behind the sticks in search of more yards. He was taken down behind the line to gain for a turnover on downs. Instead of banishing him to the bench, Aaron Rodgers continued to lean on the rookie throughout the contest for easy completions underneath. He tied DK Metcalf for a team-high in catches. Per the broadcast, it was the most catches by a rookie receiver of Rodgers since the grizzled veteran entered the league. Bernard went from a PPR scam to a full-blown breakout in overtime by extending the ball for a game-winning touchdown with two defenders draped over him. Bernard has 21 targets over the past two weeks. He also has at least 80 yards in back-to-back games. He is looking at a WR3 ranking for his Week 7 matchup with the Saints.

We weren’t exactly worried about Skowronek siphoning many targets away, but with him out of the pecking order entirely Germie Bernard should be a wheels-up WR3 for Week 6 now that both Skowronek and Roman Wilson have been ruled out.

Michael Pittman (foot) was ruled out earlier in the week, and then Roman Wilson dislocated his finger during the game, so there wasn’t a lot of competition for Bernard and DK Metcalf. The rookie from Alabama played the same number of snaps as Metcalf and ran a route on 35 of the team’s 38 dropbacks. This isn’t an explosive passing attack, but Bernard looks like the WR2 in Pittsburgh now and is more of an intermediate and short-area target than DK Metcalf, which could lead to decent fantasy value over the next few weeks.

Wilson had just one target in the first half. He pinned the reception to his hip, but the ball was ripped loose by a defender, which not only made the pass incomplete but also seemed to dislocate Wilson’s finger. With Michael Pittman Jr. also hurt, we should continue to see a lot of Germie Bernard in Week 5.

McCarthy told reporters the team is evaluating Pittman’s roster spot, meaning they could place him on injured reserve. He would miss at least four weeks while on IR. Pittman tried to play through the foot injury but only made it two weeks before aggravating the issue. He was spotted using a scooter to support his foot in the locker room on Wednesday. We suspect the Steelers will place him on IR to give Pittman enough time to fully recover. Germie Bernard will now operate as the team’s permanent WR3, with Roman Wilson taking on more work as the clear No. 2 receiver. Both players will be decent FLEX options for Week 5.

He was limited in practice all three days this week with a foot injury that kept him out of Week 2. We’d say Pittman is on the optimistic side of questionable based on his participation status. If he’s out again, it would likely be Germie Bernard picking up the slack, as he did in Week 2.

Pittman didn’t practice once last week, so a limited session today is a big step in the right direction. Germie Bernard took his spot in the lineup on Sunday and caught four passes for 35 yards, but he also coughed up a drop that was then intercepted by New England. The mistake all but guarantees his return to the bench once Pittman is healthy.

Bernard saw increased opportunity with Michael Pittman ruled out for Week 2. He caught all four of his receptions on one drive in the second quarter but ended as the second-most targeted receiver on the team. Bernard seemed to lose much of the trust he earned with a rough bobble on an Aaron Rodgers screen pass that led to an interception in the fourth quarter. The rookie second-round pick will find fantasy relevance while Pittman is out, but is no more than a fantasy WR5 for Week 3 against the Bengals.