Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jerome Ford

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.

Sunday, January 14, 7:20 AM

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford carried the ball nine times for 17 yards and added four catches for 15 yards in a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. Ford was quiet in his first playoff game as the Browns fell behind 24-14 at halftime and had to shift to a pass-first approach in the second half. Ford turned in a solid effort as Cleveland's lead back after the team lost Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Chubb is likely to be back at some point early in the 2024 season but Ford has certainly earned himself a role as the No. 2 running back in Cleveland moving forward. With Chubb set to become a free-agent after next season, Ford remains an interesting long-term asset in dynasty formats.