Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Jonnu Smith

Saturday, January 4, 10:59 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine will face the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 18. With Isiah Pacheco marked as out and Kareem Hunt listed as doubtful for this week's contest, Perine should handle the majority of touches out of the backfield. The 29-year-old receiving back will face the Broncos, who rank 15th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. Despite shouldering the load, Perine's ceiling will be lower with Carson Wentz under center this week. Perine is ranked RB44 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option this week. There is a possibility that Perine is fantasy-relevant through sheer volume on the ground and through the air, but scoring opportunities could be at a premium in this contest. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere.

Saturday, January 4, 10:02 AM

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith remains an appealing fantasy option ahead of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Jets. There are many moving parts ahead of the Dolphins' regular-season finale, including the injury statuses of key offensive weapons such as Tua Tagovailoa (hip), Jaylen Waddle (knee), and Tyreek Hill (wrist, illness). As it stands, Tagovailoa is expected to be sidelined, leaving Tyler Huntley as the Dolphins' starting quarterback for the second week in a row. Smith saw a significantly reduced target share with Huntley under center last week, catching three of four targets for 26 yards. He had his lowest target total, reception total, yardage total, and snap share since Week 10. However, he managed to snag a touchdown pass in the win, salvaging his fantasy performance and giving him seven consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points (PPR). He ranks as the overall TE4 this season, and while the insertion of Huntley under center does lower Smith's ceiling and floor, we still view the 29-year-old tight end as a top-eight fantasy option at his position heading into Week 18.