Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Kyle Monangai
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | 21.5 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 7.8 | 0.0 |
Samaje Perine News
Thursday, August 20, 9:38 AM
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is still mostly tied to Chase Brown's health for fantasy, but his summer role is a little more interesting than that sounds. Perine mixed in with the starters in the preseason opener, catching two passes for 12 yards and taking his only carry for seven. Cincinnati has also been leaning into more two-back looks, with Perine staying in the backfield while Brown moves around the formation. That matters. Perine ran for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries last season, and he showed against the Jets that he can still do something with extra work, going for 94 yards and a score on nine carries. Brown isn't losing the job after 1,456 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, so this isn't some backfield battle. Perine just has a little more going on than a pure bench stash. He's still an insurance back first, but Cincinnati may give him enough snaps to stay involved even when Brown is healthy.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | 45.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 10.7 | 0.1 |
Kyle Monangai News
Monday, August 17, 2:30 PM
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) suffered a hyperextended knee during training camp practice on Sunday and is expected to miss multiple weeks, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. However, the MRI outcome is considered positive, and the 24-year-old's knee is structurally sound. Monangai will most likely miss the team's final two preseason games as he tries to rehab and get ready to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Carolina Panthers. With Monangai sidelined for the next couple of weeks, Roschon Johnson, Salvon Ahmed, and Brittain Brown will get more opportunities to play behind starter D'Andre Swift in Chicago's backfield. After being selected in the seventh round from Rutgers in 2025, Monangai had 169 rushing attempts for 783 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games in his first NFL season, adding 18 receptions for 164 yards as a pass-catcher. He is still the handcuff option to Swift, but his lack of pass-catching upside makes him a better RB3/flex target in standard-scoring fantasy leagues in 2026.
Samaje Perine vs. Kyle Monangai
Still trying to decide between Perine and Monangai? 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 Kyle Monangai is projected to score 9.1 points.
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