Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Emari Demercado
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
Thursday, August 20, 9:38 AM
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is still mostly tied to Chase Brown's health for fantasy, but his summer role is a little more interesting than that sounds. Perine mixed in with the starters in the preseason opener, catching two passes for 12 yards and taking his only carry for seven. Cincinnati has also been leaning into more two-back looks, with Perine staying in the backfield while Brown moves around the formation. That matters. Perine ran for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries last season, and he showed against the Jets that he can still do something with extra work, going for 94 yards and a score on nine carries. Brown isn't losing the job after 1,456 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, so this isn't some backfield battle. Perine just has a little more going on than a pure bench stash. He's still an insurance back first, but Cincinnati may give him enough snaps to stay involved even when Brown is healthy.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | 16.9 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 5.4 | 0.0 |
Emari Demercado News
Thursday, March 12, 5:58 PM
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Demercado had over 1,100 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns (three rushing) in his three years with the team, and he'll now join Kenneth Walker III in KC's new-look backfield going into the 2026 season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of TCU had a career-high 312 rushing yards on 44 carries in 13 games in Arizona in 2025, but he didn't find the end zone on the ground. Demercado added 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in an expanded role after both James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) suffered season-ending injuries. He never held a big role in Arizona's backfield, but he was productive when he touched the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt on 126 carries. Demercado should have more upside as a stash candidate in deeper fantasy leagues while competing for backup duties with Brashard Smith.
Samaje Perine vs. Emari Demercado
Still trying to decide between Perine and Demercado? 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 Emari Demercado is projected to score 3.6 points.
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