Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jahmyr Gibbs

Saturday, January 4, 10:59 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine will face the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 18. With Isiah Pacheco marked as out and Kareem Hunt listed as doubtful for this week's contest, Perine should handle the majority of touches out of the backfield. The 29-year-old receiving back will face the Broncos, who rank 15th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. Despite shouldering the load, Perine's ceiling will be lower with Carson Wentz under center this week. Perine is ranked RB44 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option this week. There is a possibility that Perine is fantasy-relevant through sheer volume on the ground and through the air, but scoring opportunities could be at a premium in this contest. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere.

Monday, January 6, 12:51 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs totaled 139 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 23 carries during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He also caught all five of his targets for 31 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. When all was said and done, Gibbs totaled 170 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns while leading the Lions to a division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture. The 22-year-old running back was terrific while playing alongside David Montgomery (knee) for most of the 2024 season, and he has jumped to the elite tier ever since his backfield-mate went down with a knee injury. Even if Montgomery returns for the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, Gibbs will remain a high-end RB1 for fantasy purposes thanks to his nearly unparalleled rushing, receiving, and touchdown upside.