Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Emari Demercado


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.8 17.1 0.1 1.4 10.5 0.0

Samaje Perine News

Samaje Perine Offers More Insurance Than Standalone Value

Tuesday, September 22, 11:12 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is not seeing enough work to help fantasy lineups while Chase Brown is healthy, and Week 2 made that pretty clear. Perine carried twice for six yards and caught one pass for 16 yards against Houston after getting eight touches in the opener. Through two games, he has seven carries for 26 yards and four catches for 46 yards while playing 34.2% of the offensive snaps. Brown, meanwhile, has 36 carries and eight receptions and owns a 70.7% snap share. Perine's value is tied much more to what would happen if Brown missed time. Tahj Brooks has yet to push him out of the No. 2 spot, and Perine has enough receiving experience to take on more work if needed. RotoBaller lists him among its secondary Week 3 running back options and also places him in the pure handcuff group. He is a bench stash for managers looking for backfield insurance, not someone to start while Brown is handling this much of the offense.


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.7 18.5 0.1 0.7 4.7 0.0

Emari Demercado News

Emari Demercado Carries High-End Handcuff Appeal in Dallas

Saturday, September 19, 12:27 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Emari Demercado had a quiet game in his team's Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, recording two carries for seven yards. However, with Cowboys running back Malik Davis (hip) on season-ending Injured Reserve with a hip injury, Demercado has established himself as the clear RB2 in Dallas. As long as star Cowboys back Javonte Williams remains healthy, Demercado is unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role. Still, Demercado now profiles as one of the more valuable handcuff running back options for fantasy managers. The 27-year-old was productive when given the opportunity in 2025, recording 413 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 57 touches across 13 games with the Arizona Cardinals. He also offers a three-down skill set that could allow him to play a workhorse role in the event of an injury to Williams. In deeper leagues, Demercado could be worth stashing off the waiver wire.


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 4.8 points this week while Emari Demercado is projected to score 3.7 points.