Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Tony Pollard


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

Samaje Perine a Fine Handcuff with Receiving Upside

Friday, August 28, 5:29 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine isn't expected to have a very consistent role out of the backfield behind Chase Brown. However, we should see him get involved on some passing downs, and he's also a decent handcuff option for managers who are already planning to draft Brown. Last year in Cincy, the veteran running back tallied 382 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards, and three touchdowns across 15 games, ranking as the RB57 in PPR leagues. It was an interesting year for the 30-year-old, who posted his second-highest rushing yard total since 2017 but his lowest receiving yard total since 2020. Last year seemed like an outlier season for Perine, who is well established as a pass-catching option out of the backfield. He should see his receptions and receiving yards increase this year, but whether he'll have any standalone value remains uncertain. The Bengals gave Brown 17.7 touches per game last year, and that includes games where the offense was struggling with Joe Burrow sidelined. This is clearly Brown's backfield, so anyone looking to draft Perine in fantasy football should wait until the last couple of rounds.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
10.9 57.7 0.3 1.7 11.2 0.1

Tony Pollard News

Tony Pollard Finishing Camp on a High Note

Friday, August 28, 9:11 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard is finishing August with some momentum behind his redraft outlook. Pollard has produced whenever Tennessee has used its starters this preseason, totaling 34 yards and a touchdown on six carries while also catching a 33-yard pass from Cam Ward against Seattle. He followed that with another strong showing during Thursday's joint practice with Chicago, making a difficult catch on a 50-yard throw and powering through several would-be tacklers for a touchdown despite feeling under the weather. Pollard is coming off his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing season after carrying 242 times for a career-high 1,082 yards and five scores in 2025. He also topped 100 rushing yards in three consecutive games late last year. Tyjae Spears will keep this from becoming a one-man backfield, particularly in the passing game, where he has been much more active throughout camp. Still, Pollard remains first on Tennessee's depth chart and has continued to produce with the starting offense. RotoBaller currently ranks him RB29 in half-PPR, giving him solid RB3/flex appeal with enough rushing volume and touchdown upside to deliver RB2 weeks.


Samaje Perine vs. Tony Pollard

Still trying to decide between Perine and Pollard? 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 Tony Pollard is projected to score 10.9 points.