Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jarquez Hunter

Thursday, May 1, 3:25 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is expected to have a lesser version of the two-minute, passing-down role that he held near the end of his first tenure with the organization, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Perine spent the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons with the Bengals and secured 38 receptions in his final season with the team. After a year with Denver and a year with Kansas City, he's back in Joe Burrow's offense and will have somewhat of a role in the backfield. However, the 29-year-old is likely well past his prime, and Chase Brown showed enough to have confidence in him as a starting fantasy football running back in 2025. Either way, Perine could be worth rostering in deeper PPR setups based on this report.

Thursday, July 10, 3:15 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after a fantastic final season at Auburn. This offseason, the Rams coaching staff is pleased with his attention to detail and the way he has picked up the team's playbook. "He's a young man that's very focused on making sure he's doing exactly what we need him to do in order for him to take that next step," running backs coach Ron Gould said. "And then I was just very surprised at how quickly he picked up everything." The rookie will surely begin the season behind Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, but Williams struggled with explosiveness in 2024, posting just two 20-plus-yard runs on 316 carries. Meanwhile, Hunter ranked second nationally in runs of 10-plus yards per carry in 2024. With Blake Corum struggling to make an impact last year, Hunter could be the favorite to win the RB2 role. And if Williams continues to lack big-play upside, we could see a healthy mix of Hunter as a change-of-pace back. If he's the clear RB2 in Los Angeles, he has potential league-winning upside in the case of Williams injury.