Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Kyren Williams

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.

Wednesday, January 17, 12:53 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (hand) had successful surgery on Tuesday to fix a broken bone in his hand, according to head coach Sean McVay. Williams broke a bone in his hand in Sunday night's one-point wild-card loss to the Detroit Lions, but he'll have plenty of time to heal up before the start of the 2024 regular season. The 23-year-old moved into a starting role in LA's backfield in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign after the Rams traded Cam Akers away. Williams had a career year, carrying the ball 228 times for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns while also logging 32 receptions (48 targets) for 206 yards and three more scores in just 12 regular-season games played. He could have more competition for touches in 2024 in the Rams' backfield, but Williams should remain the lead back, which will give him at least high-end RB2 upside in fantasy drafts.