A rookie wide receiver had a breakout week in fantasy football this past Sunday. Germie Bernard, a second-round pick on the Pittsburgh Steelers, looked like a seasoned professional in his team’s overtime win. Is he a name to target as the top add on the Week 7 waiver wire?
Is Germie Bernard a must-add waiver target?
The Steelers were busy when it come to the wide receiver position this past offseason. The front office extended DK Metcalf, traded for Michael Pittman Jr. and used a second-round selection in the NFL Draft on Germie Bernard. Those moves are all still rather up in the air in regard to whether they’ll pan out in the long term, but what we do know is that the rookie popped off in Week 6.
Pittsburgh faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, with Pittman notably still on IR alongside third-year standout Roman Wilson, who joined him prior to the game as well. Those injures opened up plenty of playing time for Bernard, who very quickly earned the trust of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who notoriously does not seem to like throwing to rookies. Bernard caught 11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, finishing with 25.7 PPR points on the day. His receptions tally was the highest any rookie has ever amassed in a single game alongside Rodgers, but this didn’t come out of nowhere. In Week 5, Bernard finished with 14.4 PPR points behind six catches for 80 yards, displaying growing chemistry with his signal-caller.
After two strong weeks, there’s a lot to like about the rookie’s performance. Bernard has run 34 routes per game with a 78.2% route share, amassing 20 targets for an average of 10.0 per game and a 25.0% target share. The Steelers are putting the ball in his hands, and to his credit, he’s producing. Bernard’s 2.46 YPRR rank 18th among all wideouts over this two-week sample and he’s been efficient after the catch as well, generating 6.06 YAC per reception with 83.5 YPG. Every single one of those stats falls in the 76th percentile or better among the 95 qualifying wideouts in the sample, so he’s genuinely playing like veteran already.
Will Bernard be able to continue this hot streak? It may not be highly likely that he averages 20.05 FPPG moving forward, especially when Wilson and Pittman eventually return. This receiver room will become crowded in a hurry, but for the moment, there’s a clear role for Bernard. The rookie looks very comfortable and has excelled from the slot, from where he’s run 61.8% of his routes. 13 of his 20 targets and 135 of his 167 yards came from that alignment, so Rodgers is looking his way in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Could he carve out that role in the long run if he continues to play well? He could.
If Bernard is still available on the waiver wire in your fantasy football leagues, he’s a priority add this week – if not the best one out there. However, there’s a pretty good chance he was scooped up already prior to Week 7. If you do have the chance to grab him, though, he could certainly pay off. The Steelers take on the Saints next Sunday, who play at one of the fastest paces in the NFL. It’s a solid spot for Bernard to put up another quality day and continue earning the trust of the organization.
