Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Craig Reynolds

Tuesday, December 16, 11:37 AM

Since returning in Week 13 from an ankle injury that caused him to miss two games, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine has recorded 135 scrimmage yards on 38 touches across three contests. While Bengals back Chase Brown remains the lead rusher in Cincinnati, Perine plays a third-down role that has led to a consistent snap share this season. He's played at least 37% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps in every game since returning from injury, giving him a chance at standalone fantasy value every week. Still, Perine's main utility for fantasy managers is as a handcuff option to Brown. If Brown were to go down over the final weeks of the season, Perine would likely dominate backfield snaps in Cincinnati. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Perine is worth targeting on the waiver wire and stashing in a bench spot.

Thursday, July 31, 11:24 PM

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds led his team in rushing yards during the team's 34-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Reynolds finished with 10 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, adding one catch for 10 yards as a receiver. The 29-year-old running back is entering his seventh NFL season and has been with Detroit since 2021. In 34 games for the Lions since the start of 2023, Reynolds has logged 72 carries for 318 yards and one touchdown. He appears to be fairly locked into the RB3 role in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Reynolds would need an injury to one of those two backs to be relevant in fantasy, and even then, he would likely be a fringe flex option at best.