RADIO
Samaje Perine's Redraft Case Has a Little More Life
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is still mostly tied to Chase Brown's health for fantasy, but his summer role is a little more interesting than that sounds. Perine mixed in with the starters in the preseason opener, catching two passes for 12 yards and taking his only carry for seven. Cincinnati has also been leaning into more two-back looks, with Perine staying in the backfield while Brown moves around the formation. That matters. Perine ran for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries last season, and he showed against the Jets that he can still do something with extra work, going for 94 yards and a score on nine carries. Brown isn't losing the job after 1,456 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, so this isn't some backfield battle. Perine just has a little more going on than a pure bench stash. He's still an insurance back first, but Cincinnati may give him enough snaps to stay involved even when Brown is healthy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown Locked In As Bengals' RB1 In Preseason Opener
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown handled five carries for 16 yards in the 16-14 victory over the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener on Friday night. Brown didn't catch a pass in this game, but it's well established that his pass-catching ability is a key part of the Bengals' offense. Backup running back Samaje Perine mixed in for one carry and two catches, but he only played about 30.8% of the snaps compared to Brown's 69.2%. The 26-year-old back is fresh off a season with over 1,000 rushing yards and six touchdowns, along with 69 receptions and five receiving scores. Brown is one of the most dynamic running backs in one of the league's most friendly offensive environments and should be considered a strong RB1 for the 2026 season. Brown will look to keep his momentum going in next week's preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
Source: Yahoo Fantasy Sports - Twitter
Source: Yahoo Fantasy Sports - Twitter
Tahj Brooks Drops Two Passes in Preseason Opener
Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks had a rough showing as a receiver in Thursday's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic noted that Brooks dropped two passes from Joe Flacco, including one that hit him between the numbers on a slant with room to run. That's worth noting for a player trying to hold onto the No. 3 job in a Bengals offense that asks its backs to contribute in the passing game. Brooks played only 47 offensive snaps as a rookie, finishing with 16 carries for 45 yards and one catch for nine yards. He had been showing progress as a receiver in camp, even catching a touchdown from Flacco earlier this week after spending the offseason working on that part of his game. Chase Brown and Samaje Perine remain ahead of him on the depth chart, so Brooks doesn't have much margin for mistakes. Two drops won't decide the competition, but Thursday wasn't the start he wanted.
Source: Paul Dehner Jr. - The Athletic
Source: Paul Dehner Jr. - The Athletic
Samaje Perine Offers Little Standalone Redraft Value
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine still has a clear job in this backfield, but most of his fantasy appeal starts with Chase Brown. Perine played 15 games last season and ran 84 times for 382 yards and three touchdowns, adding 17 catches for 87 yards. He flashed when Cincinnati gave him a little more room, ripping off 94 yards and a score on only nine carries against the Jets. The Bengals haven't forgotten that. Their own offseason preview has Perine set to lead the group behind Brown again in 2026. Brown, however, played all 17 games last year and topped 1,000 rushing yards, and Cincinnati expects him to remain the lead back. Perine was on the field for just over 31% of the offensive snaps in 2025. RotoBaller ranks him 196th overall and RB58. There is still a place for the 240-pound veteran on a fantasy bench, especially for Brown managers, but weekly value will be hard to find unless his workload grows.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown Being Used Across the Formation
Through the early stages of training camp, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher has already dug into the deepest corners of the team's playbook, and a player seemingly at the center of everything has been running back Chase Brown. The fourth-year back has been moved all across the formation, with The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. pointing out, "Brown lines up in the slot and runs a slant one play, then takes a jet sweep the next. He's part of 20 personnel with two running backs, motions into the backfield, behind a fullback and almost any other spot imaginable." While the inclusion of some lesser-used plays has led to expected inconsistencies from the offense as a whole, Brown's usage has been one of the most encouraging signs to come out of Bengals camp, and he could be in line for a massive workload in 2026.
Source: Paul Dehner Jr. - The Athletic
Source: Paul Dehner Jr. - The Athletic
Chase Brown Continues to Grow as a Receiver
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown continues to show growth as a receiver. Joe Burrow said Brown has taken another leap catching the ball this offseason, while Charlie Clifford noted that the fourth-year back lined up wide for a couple of reps during Monday's 11-on-11 work. Brown already set a franchise record for a running back, halfback, or fullback with 69 receptions last season, turning them into 437 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,019 yards and six scores, giving him 1,456 yards from scrimmage in his first full season as Cincinnati's lead back. A few snaps split out wide do not guarantee a major change in how the Bengals use him, but the look fits Brown's growing role as an all-around weapon. His receiving work remains a major part of his fantasy value, and any further expansion would make him even harder to take off the field.
Source: Charlie Clifford
Source: Charlie Clifford
Chase Brown Earns Praise From his Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown was brought up during Joe Burrow's training camp opening press conference on Wednesday, and the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback was effusive in his praise of his fourth-year backfield mate. Burrow told reporters, "He does everything. He's a complete back... He trains as a receiver all offseason, you wouldn't know that he's a running back when he's out there doing it." Burrow went on about Brown's versatility and importance to the offense before making a bold statement about his projected usage for 2026. "Obviously we're going to try to get the ball in [Ja'Marr Chase's] hands as many times as we can, but I think a close second is Chase Brown." The 2023 fifth-round pick made a career-high 69 catches on 86 targets in 2025, and if those numbers see even modest improvement in 2026, Brown could prove to be one of the safest selections in the early rounds of drafts, currently ranked as RotoBaller's RB10.
Source: Noelle Blumel
Source: Noelle Blumel
Samaje Perine an Underrated Insurance Back in 2026
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine will turn 31 years old in September, but he has shown few signs of slowing down. In his return to the Bengals in 2025, he carried the ball 84 times, his most attempts since 2022, and while maintaining a 4.5-yard per carry average, he scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns. Fourth-year player Chase Brown has developed into a true bell cow back, averaging more than 19.6 opportunities per game across his last 30 outings, making Perine's insurance role behind him a potentially important one for fantasy. Rounding out the Bengals' backfield is 2025 sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks, and there's an expectation that should Brown miss time, the second-year player could help to lighten the load rather than turning full control over to Perine. Still, the 10th-year veteran remains an underrated handcuff option and one that would undoubtedly garner attention on the waiver wire in the unfortunate event of injury.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown Remains a Solid RB1 for 2026
The Cincinnati Bengals will rely on running back Chase Brown as the lead back in 2026, as he enters his third season. The Bengals decided not to invest heavily in running backs once again this offseason. After a slow start in 2025, Brown managed to finish the season as the RB7 overall in PPR scoring. From Week 8 on, he managed to score 15-plus fantasy points in every game and was the RB4 in that stretch. With Joe Burrow fully healthy, the team hopes to get back to producing as one of the NFL's best offenses. However, Brown is still being drafted as a back-end RB1 in most fantasy drafts despite the Cincinnati offense trending back up. The 26-year-old has a chance to be the lead back in the best potential offense in the NFL, and it could boost him to land as a top-5 running back this season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tahj Brooks Competing for a Bigger Complementary Role in Bengals Backfield
Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks only saw 16 rushing attempts for 45 yards and caught one of his two targets for nine yards in 16 games in 2025 after the Bengals took him in the sixth round out of Texas Tech. Brooks mainly saw work on special teams as a rookie and in mop-up duty on offense. Chase Brown is the unquestioned leader of Cincinnati's backfield going into the 2026 season yet again behind an offensive line that is returning all five starters from last year. Veteran Samaje Perine figures to lead the group behind Brown again in 2026, which leaves Brooks competing for touches as the RB3 for the Bengals. Most likely, Brooks will serve in more of a special teams role for the second straight year as a punt protector. For now, fantasy managers in single-year formats can ignore Brooks entirely. In dynasty/keeper leagues, he's merely a deep-league stash for insurance if you also have Brown on your roster.
Source: Bengals.com - Michael Hull
Source: Bengals.com - Michael Hull
Samaje Perine's Handcuff Appeal Undervalued by Current Redraft ADP?
Across 15 games in 2025, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine recorded 469 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 101 touches. As he enters his age-31 season, Perine has established himself as a reliable third-down back who can also handle RB2 duties as a rusher. Entering 2026, Perine profiles as the clear backup in Cincinnati behind star Bengals running back Chase Brown. As long as Brown stays healthy, Perine's fantasy appeal is limited. Brown is entering his age-26 season and has largely avoided injury to this point in his career. Still, Brown has played in 33 games and amassed 584 touches over the past two seasons. If he goes down, Perine has a three-down skill set and could take over as the primary back in Cincinnati. At his current redraft ADP of RB75, Perine's handcuff appeal may be undervalued ahead of 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown a Locked-in RB1 for 2026
It took Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown until Week 7 of the 2025 season to post a weekly fantasy finish inside the top 20, but from that point forward, he never looked back. Brown finished as the RB19 or better in each of his final 11 games, only twice finishing outside the top 15. The team's mid-season trade for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco helped to steady a faltering offense without three-time Pro Bowler Joe Burrow, and Brown was perhaps the biggest benefactor, finishing as the RB7 from that point forward. With Burrow at full health and Flacco back under contract to back him up, Brown's high floor remains very much intact, while a projected philosophical shift could help to raise his ceiling in 2026. Brown was one of the league's most explosive runners when the team went under center, but with the Bengals ranking 31st in the league in that category, he rarely had the opportunity to take advantage. Reports out of minicamp have suggested that the team could mix in more under-center runs, and even a modest increase, along with the offensive consistency allowed by the presumed health at quarterback, could have Brown flirting with a top-five finish. Heading into the year, he is RotoBaller's RB10, and drafters should again feel comfortable making Brown their RB1 in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell High on Chase Brown?
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown put together another rock-solid season in 2025, recording 1,456 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 301 touches across 17 games. The 26-year-old topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career while also setting career-highs in targets (88), receptions (69), and receiving yards (437). Brown's long-term future in Cincinnati is an open question, as he's set to play on the final year of his rookie contract in 2026. Still, he enters the year as the unquestioned lead back for the Bengals and should have a solid chance to reach 300 touches for the second consecutive season. If Cincinnati can get a fully healthy season out of quarterback Joe Burrow, Brown may also find himself playing in one of the NFL's best offenses in 2026. Dynasty managers may want to consider selling high on Brown following the 2026 season, but for now, he profiles as a player to hold due to high-end RB1 upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown a Short-term Dynasty Buy Whose Value Could Extend Beyond 2026
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown finished 2025 as the fantasy RB8 after an RB12 finish in 2024. At 26 years old, he enters the final season of his rookie contract as RotoBaller's dynasty RB13, but should he and the team reach an agreement on a potential contract extension before the 2027 season, that ranking would almost certainly vault up. Brown's status as a true dynasty RB1 has long been held down by his fifth-round draft status and a fear that the Bengals could bring in additional competition to diminish his three-down role. Instead, over the past three offseasons, the Bengals have traded away former cornerstone running back Joe Mixon while spending a single sixth-round pick on the position. Brown heads into 2026 as one of the league's true bell cow backs on what again projects to be one of its most potent offenses. Even if the sides are unable to work out a long-term extension and this proves to be his final season in Cincinnati, Brown is arguably still worth his current price to contending dynasty managers on the potential of a top-five finish in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
