Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jeremy McNichols

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, April 1, 2:02 PM

The Washington Commanders signed free-agent running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed deal on Monday. McNichols spent most of last year on the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad but did play a special teams role in three regular-season games. The former fifth-round pick (162nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 out of Boise State will serve as running back depth in Washington behind Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr. There's a good chance the 28-year-old will be on the team's practice squad to begin the 2024 regular season if he isn't cut after training camp and the preseason. In his six NFL seasons with four different teams, McNichols has only 90 carries for 364 yards and one rushing touchdown, adding 40 receptions for 295 yards and an additional score in 37 games (zero starts).