Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Rico Dowdle

Saturday, September 13, 3:15 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine had two catches for six yards in the Week 1 win over the Browns. The veteran re-signed with the Bengals during the offseason, marking his third stint with the team. Most assumed he'd be routinely involved. However, that wasn't the case versus Cleveland, with Perine logging only 13 offensive snaps compared to Chase Brown's 39. Tahj Brooks didn't do anything. While that suggests the 29-year-old has a firm grasp over the rookie for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, neither man isn't expected to have a consistent role in the offense moving ahead. That also applies to the Week 2 meeting with the Jags. As a result, fantasy managers should keep Perine on the bench. Better yet, he shouldn't even be on most fantasy rosters, although that could change if Brown gets hurt at some point throughout the 2025 campaign.

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.