There is always a time in every fantasy football season that the former starter of any position gets pushed out of the way for the up-and-coming young and talented player. For Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, his time has finally come to pass.
In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Bengals drafted Giovani Bernard to be a new weapon to this already-talented offense. Everyone assumed that Bernard would be the starting running back by the midway point of the season and that the running back they call the Law Firm would be second fiddle to Bernard. Because of this, many fantasy managers drafted Bernard pretty high and expected great things.
This transition did not happen right away, but it is finally here. The evidence is clear, that’s for sure. If you look at both of their statistics over the last two weeks, it is very visible. Bernard has 199 total yards with three touchdowns, and Green-Ellis has 108 total yards with no touchdowns. The ironic thing is the attempts that the two players have had over those two games: Bernard has gotten the ball 30 times and Green-Ellis has also gotten the football 30 times.
The biggest difference is that of the 30 times Green-Ellis had the ball, it was all hand-offs and not receptions. This means that Bernard is on the field in all types of situations, not just obvious running situations.
If you are a Green-Ellis owner, I recommended a few weeks ago that it would be very wise to trade him, especially after two games where he had either over 80 yards rushing or a touchdown. If you are a Bernard owner, you should be very happy. Bernard is showing all his owners why everyone recommended drafting him for your fantasy team. He is a dual threat out of the backfield. The guy can break tackles when it is a running play, and he has the hands to catch the ball on passing situations.
I am not saying that Green-Ellis does not have fantasy value. If you need to play Green-Ellis because of byes or injuries, then do it. All I am saying is that you should feel comfortable starting Bernard every week from here on out, just as long as his sore ribs do not give him a problem.
Dom DeCarlo is a Fantasy blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him @DomDecarlo1, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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