Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Mike Washington Jr.
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
Friday, July 10, 7:02 AM
Across 15 games in 2025, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine recorded 469 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 101 touches. As he enters his age-31 season, Perine has established himself as a reliable third-down back who can also handle RB2 duties as a rusher. Entering 2026, Perine profiles as the clear backup in Cincinnati behind star Bengals running back Chase Brown. As long as Brown stays healthy, Perine's fantasy appeal is limited. Brown is entering his age-26 season and has largely avoided injury to this point in his career. Still, Brown has played in 33 games and amassed 584 touches over the past two seasons. If he goes down, Perine has a three-down skill set and could take over as the primary back in Cincinnati. At his current redraft ADP of RB75, Perine's handcuff appeal may be undervalued ahead of 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 19.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.1 | 0.0 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Saturday, July 11, 5:20 AM
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. does not need a weekly role to justify his price near the end of drafts. The Raiders traded up to take him 122nd overall after he piled up 1,296 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns on 195 touches at Arkansas, including 28 receptions. He is now listed at 6-foot-2, 228 pounds after clocking a 4.33-second 40 at the combine, and the team viewed him as a natural fit for Klint Kubiak's wide-zone scheme. Ashton Jeanty is not about to lose the backfield. He handled 321 touches as a rookie, and Washington may have to live on scattered change-of-pace work while Jeanty is healthy. The appeal comes from the depth chart behind him. Dylan Laube, Chris Collier, and undrafted rookie Roman Hemby offer little proven NFL production, leaving Washington with a real chance to enter the season as the primary backup. RotoBaller ranks him RB55 and 191st overall in PPR, a price that asks for very little. Washington is not a standalone flex play yet, but he is a worthwhile late-round handcuff for Jeanty managers and a reasonable injury-away bet for anyone taking shots at running back depth.
Samaje Perine vs. Mike Washington Jr.
Still trying to decide between Perine and Washington Jr.? 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 Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 4.2 points.
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