Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Brian Robinson Jr.

Thursday, May 1, 3:25 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is expected to have a lesser version of the two-minute, passing-down role that he held near the end of his first tenure with the organization, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Perine spent the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons with the Bengals and secured 38 receptions in his final season with the team. After a year with Denver and a year with Kansas City, he's back in Joe Burrow's offense and will have somewhat of a role in the backfield. However, the 29-year-old is likely well past his prime, and Chase Brown showed enough to have confidence in him as a starting fantasy football running back in 2025. Either way, Perine could be worth rostering in deeper PPR setups based on this report.

Saturday, August 30, 11:08 AM

Once a sneaky candidate to back up star running back Christian McCaffrey, stock for San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James has declined since the NFL Draft. The fifth-round pick broke a finger, forcing him to be sidelined for a few weeks. Then, the 49ers traded for former Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that Robinson is locked into the number two role, and second-year back Isaac Guerendo is currently manning the third spot on the depth chart. Although he's back on the practice field now, James may never get the chance to showcase his talents during a regular-season football game this season, barring a rash of injuries in the San Francisco backfield. Still, general manager John Lynch recently reconfirmed his confidence in the rookie, so dynasty managers shouldn't give up hope yet. The other three San Francisco running backs are regularly being selected in redraft leagues.