Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Will Shipley

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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2:38 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is expected to fill the RB2 and two-minute offense role vacated by Kenneth Gainwell, according to team reporter Jimmy Kempski. "My understanding is that the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Will Shipley during practice throughout the season and in games," he wrote. The team signed former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon this offseason, but he's unlikely to have much of a role unless Saquon Barkley gets banged up. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Clemson, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught four passes for 35 yards in 16 games last season. The 22-year-old can be stashed in deeper setups, but it would be a surprise if he's playable in lineups given Barkley's workhorse role. That said, he would have plenty of upside if Barkley has to miss any time in 2025, and the former Giant has missed at least three games due to injury in four of his seven NFL seasons.