Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jaylen Warren

Saturday, December 16, 10:54 AM

Denver Broncos running back Samaje Perine (knee) was on the Week 15 injury report but has since been cleared and will play on Saturday evening against the Detroit Lions. Outside of maybe the deepest PPR setups, Perine is probably worth avoiding, especially against a Lions team that has allowed only 48 receptions on the year and zero receiving touchdowns to RBs. But although Perine was passed by rookie Jaleel McLaughlin around the midpoint of the season for the RB2 role in Denver, he has made a comeback and is once again the Broncos' preferred back on passing downs, catching all 15 of his targets for 112 yards (7.47 yards per reception) in the last four games. He's also added 11 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. If the Broncos find themselves trailing big early, Perine could be more involved in the passing attack.

Monday, January 15, 11:47 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren handled eight carries for 38 yards and two receptions for 16 yards in the team's wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Although Warren was more efficient than backfield mate Najee Harris, neither player made much of an impact on Monday. Pittsburgh struggled early on in the contest and was forced to throw after surrendering 21 quick points. Despite ending the season with disappointment, the 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in which he totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and ranked third amongst all NFL running backs in yards per carry. He should retain a prominent role in the Steelers' offense along with Harris next season.