Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Rico Dowdle

Thursday, May 1, 3:25 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is expected to have a lesser version of the two-minute, passing-down role that he held near the end of his first tenure with the organization, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Perine spent the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons with the Bengals and secured 38 receptions in his final season with the team. After a year with Denver and a year with Kansas City, he's back in Joe Burrow's offense and will have somewhat of a role in the backfield. However, the 29-year-old is likely well past his prime, and Chase Brown showed enough to have confidence in him as a starting fantasy football running back in 2025. Either way, Perine could be worth rostering in deeper PPR setups based on this report.

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.