Samaje Perine’s last game was a breakout. Before Cincinnati’s bye, he matched Chase Brown with 16 touches against Miami and out-produced him, turning 14 carries and two catches into 15.8 PPR points with a receiving touchdown. The question is whether that was a one-week bump or the start of a bigger role, and he gets a tough Baltimore run defense to find out. Find out whether you should start or sit Samaje Perine in Week 7.
Samaje Perine Start or Sit Advice for Week 7
Perine has been the more efficient runner in this backfield. He is averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 27 attempts, compared with Brown’s 3.5 on 71. That efficiency gap may explain why Cincinnati leaned on him more heavily in Week 5, when he handled 14 carries after totaling just 13 across the first four weeks.
His real fantasy value comes near the goal line. Perine has seven red zone carries this season to Brown’s nine, so he is getting a genuine share of the short-yardage work despite handling only 23.7% of the team’s carries. Four of those red zone carries came in Week 5 alone.
That role matches up with Baltimore’s one weakness against the run. The Ravens have allowed 26 red zone carries to running backs, above the league average of 21.8, and five rushing touchdowns to the position. If Cincinnati moves the ball, Perine has a real path to the end zone.
The Bengals’ offense should give him chances. Cincinnati is scoring 25.6 points per game, converting 50.0% of its third downs and throwing for 260.0 yards per game, so drives should reach scoring position. The Bengals are also coming off their Week 6 bye, and none of their running backs are on the injury report.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Samaje Perine in Week 7
Baltimore has been tough on running backs. The Ravens allow just 18.6 PPR points per game to backs against a league average of 21.8, along with 3.82 yards per carry against a league mark of 4.09 and 80.2 rushing yards per game against 89.8. They have also shut down receiving backs, allowing just 13.8 receiving yards per game to the position, well below the league average of 31.1. The Ravens have faced Indianapolis, Dallas, New Orleans, Tennessee, Atlanta and Cleveland, a group running 9% below league average against them, so the numbers are slightly flattered but still reflect a sturdy unit.
Brown remains the lead back. He holds 62.3% of Cincinnati’s carries and averages 19.0 touches per game to Perine’s 6.8, with 24 catches to Perine’s seven. Week 5 could easily prove to be an outlier, especially since Perine posted 3.2, 2.4 and 0.7 PPR points in the three games before it.
Cincinnati’s run game has also struggled overall, averaging 3.63 yards per carry and producing just two rushing touchdowns as a team. A back in a secondary role inside a limited rushing attack has a thin margin for error.
Perine also offers little in the passing game, with seven catches for 61 yards on 10 targets, and Baltimore’s ability to erase receiving backs makes that even less likely to help.
Fantasy Outlook for Samaje Perine in Week 7
Sit Perine in Week 7. His Week 5 breakout and growing role near the goal line are encouraging, but Brown is still the lead back and Baltimore has been one of the tougher run defenses to face.
The touchdown equity gives him a puncher’s chance, since the Ravens have allowed more red zone carries to backs than the league average. That is not enough to trust him in a fantasy lineup given his limited overall workload and recent history of quiet games.
Deep-league managers covering byes from the Chargers, Commanders, Bills and Jaguars can treat him as a touchdown dart throw. Everyone else should keep him on the bench and see whether his Week 5 workload carries over before giving him a lineup spot.