Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Samaje Perine

Friday, September 12, 5:25 PM

Starting Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen on Sunday would be a bet that he can recapture the magic in his first game back in Minnesota since being reacquired in a trade with Carolina, albeit one that comes with heavy risk. The Minnesota offense was brutal for three quarters in Week 1, though the Vikings did mount a dramatic comeback and go to the veteran for a key two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. However, Thielen played 57% of offensive snaps and drew only one target, which he dropped. Thielen figures to improve on the number of targets in Week 2, especially with Jordan Addison (suspension) still out, but he'll likely be in a secondary role and still attached to a first-time starter at quarterback. He should be saved for deeper formats only.

Saturday, September 13, 3:15 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine had two catches for six yards in the Week 1 win over the Browns. The veteran re-signed with the Bengals during the offseason, marking his third stint with the team. Most assumed he'd be routinely involved. However, that wasn't the case versus Cleveland, with Perine logging only 13 offensive snaps compared to Chase Brown's 39. Tahj Brooks didn't do anything. While that suggests the 29-year-old has a firm grasp over the rookie for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, neither man isn't expected to have a consistent role in the offense moving ahead. That also applies to the Week 2 meeting with the Jags. As a result, fantasy managers should keep Perine on the bench. Better yet, he shouldn't even be on most fantasy rosters, although that could change if Brown gets hurt at some point throughout the 2025 campaign.