Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | 21.5 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 7.8 | 0.0 |
Samaje Perine News
Saturday, July 25, 5:54 AM
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine will turn 31 years old in September, but he has shown few signs of slowing down. In his return to the Bengals in 2025, he carried the ball 84 times, his most attempts since 2022, and while maintaining a 4.5-yard per carry average, he scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns. Fourth-year player Chase Brown has developed into a true bell cow back, averaging more than 19.6 opportunities per game across his last 30 outings, making Perine's insurance role behind him a potentially important one for fantasy. Rounding out the Bengals' backfield is 2025 sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks, and there's an expectation that should Brown miss time, the second-year player could help to lighten the load rather than turning full control over to Perine. Still, the 10th-year veteran remains an underrated handcuff option and one that would undoubtedly garner attention on the waiver wire in the unfortunate event of injury.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 36.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
Chris Rodriguez Jr. News
Wednesday, July 29, 10:56 AM
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (foot) has returned to practice at training camp after suffering an offseason foot injury that required surgery, according to Jaguars senior reporter J.P. Shadrick. It's good news for Rodriguez's Week 1 availability, but he still hasn't been cleared for team drills early in camp, and he has only handled individual work to this point. The 25-year-old is expected to share backfield touches with Bhayshul Tuten in Duvall in his first year with the team in 2026, but Tuten has taken the early lead for clear RB1 duties in head coach Liam Coen's offense. C-Rod's familiarity with Coen dating back to his days in college at the University of Kentucky shouldn't be discounted, but the former sixth-rounder by the Washington Commanders in 2023 is looking like the clear RB2 for Jacksonville right now. Second-year back LeQuint Allen Jr. figures to be the team's primary third-down option in the backfield, which could leave Rodriguez without much weekly volume. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 39 fantasy RB for 2026. Rodriguez has work to do to earn a bigger role alongside Tuten.
Samaje Perine vs. Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Still trying to decide between Perine and Rodriguez Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Samaje Perine is projected to score 5.3 points this week while Chris Rodriguez Jr. is projected to score 6.3 points.
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