Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Trevor Etienne

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.

Sunday, August 31, 9:28 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne did a nice job during the preseason. He showed he has breakaway speed to make a big play at any moment. Despite that, Etienne is unlikely to have a significant role to begin the season. Chuba Hubbard is going to be the lead back to begin the season. The Panthers brought in Rico Dowdle as a viable second option, so he'll likely be the second string. That means, Etienne probably isn't going to see much action right away. According to the team's official website, Etienne is penciled in as the third string back. However, the 21-year-old could wrestle away the second string job from Dowdle with more consistent play. For now, Etienne is a dynasty stash and someone that is unlikely to make an impact right away.