Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jonathan Taylor
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | 20.2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 8.7 | 0.0 |
Samaje Perine News
Friday, September 11, 11:16 AM
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine will operate as the team's RB2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Chase Brown is the clear RB1 of the team, but that does not mean that he will take all of the opportunities out of the backfield. Perine will get the opportunity to mix in, especially on passing downs. Over the past five years, Perine has been one of the most efficient running backs on a per-target basis so it stands to reason that Cincinnati will want to get him involved in the passing game. There could be a lot of passing involved in the game against the Buccaneers this Sunday. With a 50.5-point over/under, Vegas is projecting a lot of scoring to take place in Cincinnati this weekend. Perine is ranked RB52 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, so he would have to be a desperation flex option for deep leagues only but his contingent upside is among the highest of all RB2s. If Brown goes down with an injury, Perine will step into one of the most valuable roles in the NFL. For now, Perine is likely best served warming the bench for fantasy managers.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.5 | 84.1 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 22.4 | 0.1 |
Jonathan Taylor News
Saturday, September 12, 1:52 AM
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is a high-end RB1 to start the 2026 season against the Baltimore Ravens at home in Week 1. Interestingly, the Week 1 matchup featuring Taylor (1,585 rushing yards in 2025) and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (1,595) marks just the fourth game in NFL history to open the season with opposing rushers who each surpassed 1,500 yards the prior season, according to Next Gen stats. Last year, the Ravens' defense ranked 18th against the run, and they will again be without defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) this Sunday, which bodes well for Taylor if he runs between the tackles. In 2025, Taylor had a 56% inside-the-tackles rushing rate, his lowest since 2021, and he faced a stacked box only 17.6% of the time, one of the lowest of all qualified rushers in 2025. Taylor, who led all running backs last year in rushing attempts (323), should dominate opportunities in the Colts' backfield, while also seeing some looks in the passing game. Last year, Taylor had a 15.9% target share and ran an average of 20 routes per game, which is a bonus for managers in PPR formats. Fantasy managers in nearly every format probably drafted Taylor in the first or early second round to be their RB1, and he is a must-start against the Ravens in Week 1.
Samaje Perine vs. Jonathan Taylor
Still trying to decide between Perine and Taylor? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Samaje Perine is projected to score 5.3 points this week while Jonathan Taylor is projected to score 18.5 points.
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