Sep 18, 2026, 4:30 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine was listed on the team's injury report this week with an illness. The illness prevented Perine from practicing Thursday and Friday, but his absence from the final injury report suggests he's ready for the game. The veteran rusher manned the RB2 role in the Bengals offense against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Perine handled five carries for 20 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards in the 33-27 win. Perine's role as the understudy to RB1 Chase Brown is valuable in its own right, but it will only be truly noteworthy if something prevents Brown from taking the field. For now, it seems like Perine is not in danger of missing Sunday's contest. Perine is ranked RB50 in our RotoBaller Week 2 PPR rankings, making him nothing more than a desperation flex option if he is active in Week 2.--Joshua Costello
Source: Bengals.com

Sep 18, 2026, 4:29 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown will face the Houston Texans on the road in Week 2. Brown put together a great fantasy performance last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, racking up 78 total yards, five receptions, and a touchdown. Brown's real-life contributions were fairly inefficient, but they equated to 18.8 PPR fantasy points. Brown should have the opportunity to build on last week's success against the Texans. Houston's defense just gave up 36 points to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 and now Brown is set to play without fellow back Samaje Perine. Perine popped up as a DNP on the injury report Thursday and Friday with an illness, but is not on the injury report ahead of the game on Sunday. Brown could also stand to benefit from a diminished Joe Burrow heading into the weekend. Burrow was a limited participant in practice earlier this week with back tightness. If Burrow is not 100% and cannot push the ball downfield, Brown should be in line for a ton of receptions closer to the line of scrimmage. Brown has the benefit of being a capable rusher and an excellent pass catcher, giving him multiple avenues to fantasy success any given week. Brown is ranked RB11 in our RotoBaller Week 2 PPR rankings, making him a solid RB1. Fantasy managers should be excited to plug Brown into their lineups again this week.--Joshua Costello
Source: Bengals.com

Sep 18, 2026, 9:57 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks was hardly utilized in his team's Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, logging just two snaps on offense and failing to record a touch. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Brooks recorded just 54 scrimmage yards on 17 touches across 16 games as a rookie. Fast forward to 2026, and Brooks remains buried on the Bengals running back depth chart behind star back Chase Brown and trusted veteran Samaje Perine. While Brooks may be a more explosive rusher than the 31-year-old Perine, Perine is widely thought of as one of the league's best pass-protectors at the running back position and also recorded three catches for 30 yards in Week 1. Barring an injury or a change of scenery, Brooks should remain off the radar of fantasy managers heading into Cincinnati's Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 15, 2026, 9:49 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine had a strong Week 1 against the Buccaneers, serving as the top backup behind Chase Brown. Perine had five carries for 20 rushing yards and three catches for 30 receiving yards. His eight touches come on just 18 plays (28%), but he clearly would be the next running back to step in if Brown deals with any kind of injury, which would make Perine a must-start in all formats. Even with Brown healthy, Perine gets enough work as a change-of-pace option to be worth considering in a FLEX spot in an emergency situation, a favorable matchup, or a bye-week roster squeeze. Without many depth options at running back emerging in Week 1, Perine is a key stash option from the waiver wire and should be on a roster in almost all leagues due to his potential upside.--Zach Thompson
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 13, 2026, 5:13 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown rushed 16 times for 56 yards and a touchdown in the 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brown also hauled in five catches for 22 yards on six targets. Brown was tied with tight end Mike Gesicki for the most receptions on the team. Brown was able to pick up the slack for star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who had an uncharacteristic quiet game. The star back was inefficient on the ground (3.5 YPC), but was able to get home for fantasy based on the volume of opportunities. Brown should be counted on again in next week's contest against the Houston Texans. The Houston defense was one of the most feared units in 2025, but Brown has an elite workload on an elite offense so fantasy managers should have no issues plugging him right back into lineups. Brown should be considered a strong RB1 heading into Week 2 despite the tough matchup that lies ahead.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 11, 2026, 3:16 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine will operate as the team's RB2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Chase Brown is the clear RB1 of the team, but that does not mean that he will take all of the opportunities out of the backfield. Perine will get the opportunity to mix in, especially on passing downs. Over the past five years, Perine has been one of the most efficient running backs on a per-target basis so it stands to reason that Cincinnati will want to get him involved in the passing game. There could be a lot of passing involved in the game against the Buccaneers this Sunday. With a 50.5-point over/under, Vegas is projecting a lot of scoring to take place in Cincinnati this weekend. Perine is ranked RB52 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, so he would have to be a desperation flex option for deep leagues only but his contingent upside is among the highest of all RB2s. If Brown goes down with an injury, Perine will step into one of the most valuable roles in the NFL. For now, Perine is likely best served warming the bench for fantasy managers.--Joshua Costello
Source: Fantasy Points Data - Twitter

Sep 11, 2026, 3:10 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 of the 2026 season. All the buzz around Brown this offseason has been about how the Bengals view him as an explosive playmaker and will be looking to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. These reports suggest that Brown could be in line for even more receiving work than he's had in recent years. Brown finished the 2025 season as the RB7 in PPR formats and could build on that this season. The road to finishing as the RB1 this season could start in Week 1 against the Buccaneers in a game that could very well turn into a back-and-forth scoring affair. The Bengals game has a 50.5-point over/under, making it the highest total of the week. Brown could score a ton of fantasy points in a great offensive environment. Brown is ranked RB5 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a very strong start this Sunday.--Joshua Costello
Source: UnderdogNFL - Twitter

Sep 8, 2026, 1:12 PM ET

After rushing for 382 yards and three touchdowns on a 4.5-yard-per-carry average a year ago, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine appears poised to enter his 10th season as the primary backup to Chase Brown. With little in-game information to go off of, proactive fantasy managers with the luxury of deep benches should be looking to churn through the backs of their rosters, targeting players whose waiver value would see the greatest jump as the result of a Week 1 injury ahead of them, and Perine fits that bill. 2025 sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks, who carried the ball 16 times for only 45 yards as a rookie, is the only other running back on the Bengals' 53-man roster, making Perine a potentially valuable handcuff to roster who can easily be moved on from as more obvious waiver candidates emerge after Week 1.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:19 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is an under-the-radar handcuff to target in 2026 fantasy football drafts. Chase Brown has essentially cemented himself as the Bengals' workhorse running back role, but Perine would be the next man up if he misses any time due to injury. Brown averaged 17.7 touches per game last season, including 4.1 catches per game, and a large portion of those would belong to Perine if Brown ends up sidelined. Perine's receiving volume dipped last year, but we saw him rush for 382 yards, which was his highest total since 2022. Additionally, he scored three touchdowns, which was another thing he hadn't done since 2022. It'll be hard to get any standalone value out of Perine during a given week, but at such a low ADP (242), he's a great late-round handcuff for managers who already drafted Brown.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 5, 2026, 10:32 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is looking like an elite fantasy player with his every down role in what should be one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Stacked in the Bengals offense with quarterback Joe Burrow, and receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Brown figures to be heavily involved in the passing game apart from his role as the early down running back. That makes for a potential first round draft pick in leagues still drafting. According to Ben Baby of ESPN, Burrow praised Brown's versatility and pass-blocking ability. "I think there's very few backs in this league that you can say that about," Burrow said. "And when you have a guy like that, you don't have to take him off the field." Brown ranked ninth in the league last season with 1,456 total scrimmage yards and included in that was 437 receiving yards ranking sixth in the league. Look for even more involvement for Brown this season.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Ben Baby, ESPN.com

Sep 1, 2026, 10:36 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals 26-year-old running back Chase Brown finished the 2025 season as the RB8 and rushed for 1,019 yards (4.39 YPC) and six touchdowns, along with 88 targets, 69 receptions, 437 receiving yards, and five touchdowns through the air. Reports from camp have been glowing, as head coach Zac Taylor has put Brown at the center of unique offensive schemes, moving him out wide, in the slot, and utilizing him in pre-snap motion. Additionally, camp reports highlight that Brown is looking explosive and has been making big plays throughout training camp. There's no question that Brown is going early in drafts this season; however, the added context of his versatility in the passing game only raises his ceiling, and with quarterback Joe Burrow healthy, Brown has the upside to finish as a top-10 running back for a second straight season. RotoBaller ranks Brown as the RB9 heading into drafts, and he is in line for another massive season in a potent offense.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 28, 2026, 9:29 PM ET

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.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 28, 2026, 7:11 PM ET

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that it is "easy to anticipate a far more under-center ground game coming" for Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown in 2026. Brown at one point called the Bengals a "top-five, top-10" defense during training camp. "They've been causing us problems all camp," Brown said. "Offensively, we started to find a groove there even though they presented us some pretty big challenges at the start." The 26-year-old former fifth-rounder from Illinois had his first 1,000-yard rushing season on 232 carries in 2025 and added six rushing scores and a career-best 69 receptions for 437 yards and five more TDs to finish as a top-10 fantasy RB. Based on everything we have heard this summer, the Bengals have designed their offense even more around Brown out of the backfield in 2026, making him a strong midrange RB1 target as he heads into his fourth year in the NFL. Not only has Brown become one of the best all-around players at his position in the league, but he really should not be threatened at all by Samaje Perine. In a prolific offense like Cincy's, if quarterback Joe Burrow stays healthy, Brown could even improve on his strong 2025 showing.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.

Aug 26, 2026, 10:14 AM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals' starting offense has worked two drives in the 2026 preseason, with running back Chase Brown touching the ball on four of the team's first seven plays and handling five total carries. While his 16 yards are nothing gaudy, his early involvement reflects the hype he's received since the start of training camp, which has caused his ADP to steadily rise throughout draft season. The Bengals offense stumbled out of the blocks in 2025, derailed by an early-season injury to quarterback Joe Burrow, but following a slow start, Brown was the RB6 over the final 12 weeks of the season, and he projects for more of the same in 2026. Brown is RotoBaller's RB8, but as the de facto third receiving option in one of the league's most high-powered offenses, he has top-five upside and projects as a regular week-winner in PPR leagues.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller