RB · CIN · GWTTKB

Samaje Perine — fantasy football 2026

Every game, every stat category, and what the board says. 5.19 points per game in 2025, an ADP of 170.7, usage worth 5.7.

30 years old · 9 seasons of experience · 2017 draft class

Updated 2026-08-16 · free, no account, no paywall
Every figure below comes from our database. Where a stat is not held, the row is absent rather than zero.
ADP 170.7
Consensus across 1 books, 0 picks between cheapest and priciest. Cheapest on underdog, priciest on espn.
ESPN170.7
UNDERDOG215.3
FFA218

Draft-room facts

Goes aroundRound 15, pick 3 in a 12-team draft
Positional rankRB105

What we project for 2026

Our board has him at 66.8 points, 4.2 per game — 210 rushing yards, 1.5 rushing TDs, 16.4 catches. That is RB6, 213 overall.

The range runs from a floor of 2 points per game to a ceiling of 10.1, with the median at 4.2. Boom rate 99%, bust rate 52%. The spread is the actual bet, not the middle number.

He goes at 170.7 on consensus and our board has him 213. We rank him 42.3 picks worse than the room drafts him. At that distance it is a fade: we do not want him anywhere near his ADP.

The offense he plays in, 2026

Cincinnati Bengals returns 6 of 6 continuity slots — the whole offense is intact. Joe Burrow at quarterback, Zac Taylor as head coach, Dan Pitcher calling it. The offense projects to 36.4 pass attempts a game at high confidence and 23.6 rushes.

In: Colbie Young (wr4), Mitch Tinsley (wr5), Kendric Pryor (wr7). Out: Mitchell Tinsley (wr4), Noah Fant (te2).

The projected carry split across the offense:

Chase Brown63.3%
Samaje Perine 27.1%
Tahj Brooks8.2%
Gary Brightwell1.4%

Our written view on this offense in 2026

Key additions: Retain G Dalton Risner & OT Orlando Brown Jr. Added C Connor Lew in the 4th round from Auburn & WR Colbie Young from Georgia in the 4th round.

Key departures: No key departures

Notes: Burrow and the Bengals look to get back on track & healthy for the 2026 season. Chase & Higgins are set to have fantastic years if the team is healthy. Chase Brown should see his fantasy value stay high in 2026 with Burrow back but it remains to be seen if he is the long term RB solution for Cincinatti. TE play does not typically produce consistent fantasy relevance. Bengals have added heavily on defense this offseason & should be more competitive. Worth note, if the Bengals do not play well this season HC Zac Taylor is going to be fired.

How the volume number was reached: Same QB Joe Burrow returning — anchor to 2025 actuals (37.7 att/g); Regressed 30% toward league mean 33.5, floored at 30 → 36.4 att/g.

How the carry projection was built

Projected carry share27.1%
Projected carries per game5.3
Projected carries, full season89
Last season, carries per game5.6

That is a reduction of 0.3 carries a game against last season, inside a team projection of 23.6 rushing attempts a game.

Basis: prior usage blend. Carry share is the strongest forward predictor we have measured at the position, so this number carries more weight than any efficiency figure on this page.

Offensive environment: CIN rates 25.8 against a league average of 23, 2.9 points above it on opponent-adjusted least squares (multi-capture merge).

2026 schedule

Opponent-adjusted run defense faced, against 2025 ratings. Positive is an easier slate.

Full season-1.9 · harder
Weeks 1–6-4.7 · harder
Weeks 12–17-2.1 · harder
Fantasy playoffs (15–17)+2 · easier

Read this narrowly. Our own testing found that season-long strength of schedule does not survive as a draft input — defensive quality is among the least stable team properties year to year, and a preseason slate is built on last year's identities. The playoff-weeks column is the only one we would let break a tie, and even then it is a tiebreaker rather than a reason. The finding.

Dynasty context not redraft

Everything in this section is about his dynasty trade value — what he is worth as a long-term asset in the trade market. It is not a forecast of his 2026 fantasy scoring. A player can be a fine redraft pick while his dynasty value falls, and the reverse. The redraft read is above; this is a different question with a different answer.

Where he sits in the dynasty value cycle

His dynasty value has moved +0.4% over the last twelve months. The market cycle classifies him as stable.

For context on how long this lasts at the position: the average career at his position produces 1.7 elite seasons and 2.4 startable seasons.

The five most similar seasons, and what their dynasty value did next

Matched on production profile — production-driven (pedigree ignored). The last column is how that player’s dynasty value moved the following year — a market outcome, not a scoring one.

PlayerSeasonTheir PPGSimilarityNext year
Jamaal Williams20242.762%+9.7%
Devin Singletary20246.456%+6.7%
Jamaal Williams20234.755%-26.9%
D'Onta Foreman20243.355%-20.7%
Antonio Gibson20246.147%-28.4%

Of the 5 with a following season on record, 2 gained value, 3 lost it and 0 held roughly flat.

Four years of dynasty value

02,000202120222023202420252026
Monthly superflex value, 2020-04 to 2026-07. From 0 to 788, peaking at 2,389.

The player

Draft capital and athletic profile

Drafted2017, round 4, pick 114 by WAS
CollegeOklahoma
Age at draft21
Height5′11″
Weight233 lb
40-yard dash4.65s
Vertical33″
Broad jump116″
3-cone7.26s
Shuttle4.37s

Availability and volatility

Career PPR per game6.9
Week-to-week variation0.9
Boom rate17.6%
Bust rate24.3%
Games missed per season0.3
Injury historyAnkle
Correlation between his posted line and his actual score-0.03

That correlation is how closely the books’ posted line tracked what he actually scored, week to week. A higher number means the market has him figured out and there is less to exploit; a lower one means his weeks are harder to price.

Injury type matters more than games missed. Measured across our injury database, knee and foot returns stay below a player’s pre-injury baseline for all three of the first games back, while hamstring returns over-recover by the third.

The record, season by season

2025 · CIN · 15 games

His best game was Week 8 against NYJ — 17 PPR on 10 touches and a 3% target share, in a game that finished 38-39. His worst was Week 2 against JAX at 0, on 0 touches, final score 31-27. Across 15 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 11 times. In the 7 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5.2; in the 8 decided by more, 5.2. Game state made no difference to his scoring.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.7 points per game. He scored 5.19, 9.6% below it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1CLE17-162.62260008.7%25%
2JAX31-2700000000%29%
3MIN10-480.100042100%27%
4DEN3-280.40101404.5%31%
5DET24-374.922242705%47%
6GB18-275.2231661607.5%46%
7PIT33-313.100073100%37%
8NYJ38-391711699413%42%
9CHI42-470.50001500%1%
13BAL32-145.42215143904.5%40%
14BUF34-394.811763102.8%37%
15BAL0-245.3111144202.8%45%
16MIA45-2112.1231672519.7%39%
17ARI37-148.31183513%31%
18CLE18-208.23410842010.5%49%

Production

Receptions17
Targets21
Receiving yards87
Carries84
Rushing yards382
Touchdowns3
Points per game5.19
Yards per target4.14
Catch rate80.95%
Yards per carry4.55

Role

Snap share35.07%
Target share4.13%
Air-yards share-0.94%
WOPR0.055
RACR-0.207

Efficiency

Average depth of target-1.5
Yards after catch per reception6.4
Yards before catch per reception-1.3
Total YAC109
Broken tackles2
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted83.9
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game-0.17
Rushing EPA per game-0.02

Scoring position

Red-zone targets1
Red-zone target share1.3%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share27.6%
Goal-line carry share21.1%
Expected receiving TDs0.15
Actual receiving TDs0
Receiving TD luck-0.15
Expected rushing TDs2.48

Who else ate

The offense threw it 640 times. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Ja'Marr Chase30.48%
Tee Higgins16.14%
Chase Brown14.5%
Andrei Iosivas9.56%
Mike Gesicki6.92%
Noah Fant6.75%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Joe Burrow7146.674.56%
Jake Browning431.350.672.38%
Joe Flacco446.455.52.63%

Blowouts against close games

6 of his 15 games were blowouts, 40.6% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 5.27 in those and 5.17 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2024 · KC · 17 games

His best game was Week 9 against TB — 13.5 PPR on 6 touches and a 11.9% target share, in a game that finished 30-24. His worst was Week 2 against CIN at 1.3, on 1 touches, final score 26-25. Across 17 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 15 times. In the 11 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5.4; in the 6 decided by more, 3.6. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 3.7 points per game. He scored 4.79, 16.1% above it. The engine classified the season as lucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1BAL27-20212100007.4%15%
2CIN26-251.31130004.3%14%
3ATL22-1773415625011.1%38%
4LAC17-107.400051410%40%
5NO26-133.412240005.9%25%
7SF28-183.811222604%21%
8LV27-20522300005.7%31%
9TB30-2413.54525110111.9%28%
10DEN16-145.722370005%24%
11BUF21-302.824800012.9%20%
12CAR30-274.4221111305.6%32%
13LV19-172.511150002.2%25%
14LAC19-172.912161305.6%25%
15CLE21-74.4112311102.6%25%
16HOU27-19833500007.3%19%
17PIT29-104.922202905.3%19%
18DEN0-382.411131105.9%38%

Production

Receptions28
Targets35
Receiving yards322
Carries20
Rushing yards92
Touchdowns2
Points per game4.79
Yards per target9.2
Catch rate80%
Yards per carry4.6

Role

Snap share25.82%
Target share6.04%
Air-yards share0.32%
WOPR0.092
RACR2.366

Efficiency

Average depth of target0.3
Yards after catch per reception11.2
Yards before catch per reception0.3
Total YAC313
Broken tackles3
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted114.5
Receiving EPA per game0.87
Rushing EPA per game-0.04

Scoring position

Red-zone targets4
Red-zone target share3.4%
End-zone target share5.9%
Red-zone carry share2.1%
Goal-line carry share3.2%
Expected receiving TDs1.26
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-0.26
Expected rushing TDs0.46

Who else ate

The offense threw it 600 times. He took 6.15% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Travis Kelce23.37%
Xavier Worthy17.22%
DeAndre Hopkins10.37%
Noah Gray8.61%
Samaje Perine 6.15%
Kareem Hunt5.62%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Patrick Mahomes16344.949.096.05%
Carson Wentz112.4135.9%

Blowouts against close games

2 of his 17 games were blowouts, 9% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 3.65 in those and 5.43 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2023 · DEN · 17 games

His best game was Week 11 against MIN — 13.7 PPR on 8 touches and a 21.9% target share, in a game that finished 21-20. His worst was Week 6 against KC at 1.6, on 2 touches, final score 8-19. Across 17 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 12 times. In the 9 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 7.2; in the 8 decided by more, 7.1. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 6.8 points per game. He scored 7.14, 4.7% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1LV16-1711.84437841012.5%45%
2WAS33-355.4342014014.8%50%
3MIA20-704.423153908.3%31%
4CHI31-285.5222361207.7%46%
5NYJ21-3111.54573622018.5%60%
6KC8-191.622160009.1%17%
7GB19-177.13331210012.5%25%
8KC24-94.1231615016.7%24%
10BUF24-227.3333518010.3%33%
11MIN21-2013.7776017021.9%36%
12CLE29-1213.6111175514.8%27%
13HOU17-222.62251108.3%20%
14LAC24-79.4553628016.7%21%
15DET17-425.8111163703.1%39%
16NE23-266.9452712014.3%35%
17LAC16-94.6221641006.7%25%
18LV14-276342337012.5%38%

Production

Receptions50
Targets56
Receiving yards455
Carries53
Rushing yards238
Touchdowns1
Points per game7.14
Yards per target8.13
Catch rate89.29%
Yards per carry4.49

Role

Snap share33.65%
Target share11.69%
Air-yards share-0.1%
WOPR0.175
RACR2.722

Efficiency

Average depth of target-0.1
Yards after catch per reception9.2
Yards before catch per reception-0.1
Total YAC462
Broken tackles6
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted100.5
Receiving EPA per game0.71
Rushing EPA per game-0.56

Scoring position

Red-zone targets3
Red-zone target share4.2%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share15.8%
Goal-line carry share16.7%
Expected receiving TDs0.55
Actual receiving TDs0
Receiving TD luck-0.55
Expected rushing TDs2

Who else ate

The offense threw it 513 times. He took 11.81% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Courtland Sutton18.99%
Jerry Jeudy18.35%
Javonte Williams12.24%
Samaje Perine 11.81%
Jaleel McLaughlin7.59%
Adam Trautman7.38%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Russell Wilson15507.388.3211.97%
Jarrett Stidham265.36.59.6%

Blowouts against close games

4 of his 17 games were blowouts, 27.4% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 8.3 in those and 7.21 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2022 · CIN · 16 games

His best game was Week 11 against PIT — 30.2 PPR on 15 touches and a 10.8% target share, in a game that finished 37-30. His worst was Week 4 against MIA at 0, on 2 touches, final score 27-15. Across 16 games he cleared 20 points 2 times and came in under 8 points 10 times. In the 8 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 12.3; in the 8 decided by more, 5.5. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 8.4 points per game. He scored 8.88, 3.8% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 3 against 1.52 expected, a gap of 1.5.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1PIT20-236.735331409.4%26%
2DAL17-2021181202.9%20%
3NYJ27-1214.1221494715.7%34%
4MIA27-1500101003.1%19%
5BAL17-199.64439317011.8%30%
6NO30-263.622112505.6%25%
7ATL35-172.82281004.8%29%
8CLE13-324.733101708.8%25%
9CAR42-216.412365106.7%36%
11PIT37-3030.244521130310.8%70%
12TEN20-1619.347351758119.4%80%
13KC27-2421.5674921106022.6%83%
14CLE23-109.4152422115.6%43%
15TB34-233.411072402.6%38%
16NE22-185.234194308.2%41%
18BAL27-163.211461802.5%45%

Production

Receptions38
Targets51
Receiving yards287
Carries95
Rushing yards394
Touchdowns6
Points per game8.88
Yards per target5.63
Catch rate74.51%
Yards per carry4.15

Role

Snap share40.25%
Target share8.78%
Air-yards share-0.52%
WOPR0.128
RACR-1.431

Efficiency

Average depth of target0.2
Yards after catch per reception8.4
Yards before catch per reception-0.9
Total YAC321
Broken tackles5
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted113.8
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game0.4
Rushing EPA per game-0.25

Scoring position

Red-zone targets8
Red-zone target share7.6%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share20.7%
Goal-line carry share6.1%
Expected receiving TDs1.52
Actual receiving TDs3
Receiving TD luck1.48
Expected rushing TDs2.1

Who else ate

The offense threw it 610 times. He took 8.59% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Ja'Marr Chase22.56%
Tee Higgins18.35%
Tyler Boyd13.8%
Joe Mixon12.63%
Hayden Hurst11.45%
Samaje Perine 8.59%

Blowouts against close games

3 of his 16 games were blowouts, 9.8% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 4.63 in those and 12.26 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2021 · CIN · 15 games

His best game was Week 5 against GB — 18.3 PPR on 16 touches and a 13.5% target share, in a game that finished 22-25. His worst was Week 2 against CHI at 0, on 1 touches, final score 17-20. Across 15 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 13 times. In the 8 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5.6; in the 7 decided by more, 5.5. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5 points per game. He scored 5.55, 3.6% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1MIN27-243.911752203.8%22%
2CHI17-2000100003.4%5%
3PIT24-101.71181-105.6%21%
4JAX24-213.211153703.1%28%
5GB22-2518.345241159113.5%61%
7BAL41-1714.51123115212.8%48%
8NYJ31-343.622160005.9%25%
9CLE16-415.7231752007.3%33%
11LV32-135.1331823010.7%15%
12PIT41-102.511123304.2%15%
13LAC22-416.122553605.3%34%
14SF23-267.34522411014.7%42%
15DEN15-106.3221343009.5%30%
16BAL41-212.62260004.3%14%
17KC34-312.411101402.6%29%

Production

Receptions27
Targets31
Receiving yards196
Carries55
Rushing yards246
Touchdowns2
Points per game5.55
Yards per target6.32
Catch rate87.1%
Yards per carry4.47

Role

Snap share28.13%
Target share6.45%
Air-yards share0.11%
WOPR0.097
RACR-0.145

Efficiency

Average depth of target0.2
Yards after catch per reception7.3
Yards before catch per reception-0.1
Total YAC198
Broken tackles2
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted103.8
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game0.44
Rushing EPA per game-0.45

Scoring position

Red-zone targets6
Red-zone target share7.4%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share2.7%
Expected receiving TDs1.18
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-0.18
Expected rushing TDs0.19

Who else ate

The offense threw it 555 times. He took 5.74% of the targets. 3 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Ja'Marr Chase23.7%
Tee Higgins20.37%
Tyler Boyd17.41%
C.J. Uzomah11.67%
Joe Mixon8.89%
Samaje Perine 5.74%

Blowouts against close games

6 of his 15 games were blowouts, 43.9% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 6.08 in those and 5.62 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2020 · CIN · 12 games

His best game was Week 16 against HOU — 29.6 PPR on 17 touches and a 10.5% target share, in a game that finished 37-31. His worst was Week 6 against IND at 0, on 1 touches, final score 27-31. Across 12 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 10 times. In the 5 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 6.5; in the 7 decided by more, 4.8. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.3 points per game. He scored 5.48, 11.9% above it. The engine classified the season as lucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsCarRushTDTgt%Snap%
1LAC13-1600000000%0%
6IND27-3100001000%4%
7CLE34-371.61131302.1%25%
8TEN31-2010.4112103212.9%33%
10PIT10-366.511774802.6%25%
11WAS9-203.112251904.5%46%
12NYG17-191.21120003.7%14%
13MIA7-190.70003700%33%
14DAL7-306.1229103205.3%39%
15PIT27-171.400041400%21%
16HOU37-3129.644411395210.5%38%
17BAL3-385.100095100%44%

Production

Receptions11
Targets12
Receiving yards66
Carries63
Rushing yards301
Touchdowns3
Points per game5.48
Yards per target5.5
Catch rate91.67%
Yards per carry4.78

Role

Snap share26.83%
Target share2.63%
Air-yards share-0.68%
WOPR0.034
RACR-0.498

Efficiency

Average depth of target-1.8
Yards after catch per reception8.1
Yards before catch per reception-2.1
Total YAC89
Broken tackles3
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted89.6
Rushing yards over expected0
Receiving EPA per game0.05
Rushing EPA per game-0.09

Scoring position

Red-zone targets5
Red-zone target share6.5%
End-zone target share0%
Red-zone carry share22.4%
Goal-line carry share19%
Expected receiving TDs0.73
Actual receiving TDs0
Receiving TD luck-0.73
Expected rushing TDs2.35

Who else ate

The offense threw it 581 times. 3 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Tyler Boyd19.47%
Tee Higgins19.12%
A.J. Green18.41%
Giovani Bernard10.44%
Drew Sample9.38%
Joe Mixon4.6%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Joe Burrow653.62.82.02%
Brandon Allen578.547.433.9%
Ryan Finley101.40%

Blowouts against close games

3 of his 12 games were blowouts, 26.9% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 5.9 in those and 6.48 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

Ask the Coach about Samaje Perine →
All player profiles · 2026 rankings · Research findings · Methodology
GWTTKB publishes research and education. Nothing here is betting advice.