Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Kimani Vidal

Tuesday, December 16, 11:37 AM

Since returning in Week 13 from an ankle injury that caused him to miss two games, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine has recorded 135 scrimmage yards on 38 touches across three contests. While Bengals back Chase Brown remains the lead rusher in Cincinnati, Perine plays a third-down role that has led to a consistent snap share this season. He's played at least 37% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps in every game since returning from injury, giving him a chance at standalone fantasy value every week. Still, Perine's main utility for fantasy managers is as a handcuff option to Brown. If Brown were to go down over the final weeks of the season, Perine would likely dominate backfield snaps in Cincinnati. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Perine is worth targeting on the waiver wire and stashing in a bench spot.

Friday, December 19, 11:30 AM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal may still be a viable fantasy play in Week 16 if the team continues featuring him as they have, despite teammate Omarion Hampton's return to the field. Hampton missed a massive chunk of the season with an ankle injury. While he's been back for a few weeks now and saw a modest increase in snaps during his second game, Vidal has handily out-snapped him 93-47 over that time frame. The actual touch distribution has been much closer, with the rookie leading 31-28, although it's possible LA will still lean on the former at times, considering he was an excellent stand-in while Hampton was shelved. Vidal should have some decent flex appeal for fantasy until (unless) he's phased out of the game plan in his backfield mate's favor. They'll get an improved Dallas rush defense on the road this Sunday.