Should I pickup Samaje Perine after his Week 13 performance? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

The Cincinnati Bengals are sitting in a wild-card spot, tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first in the AFC North. They have an elite offense, averaging 26 points per game, the seventh-most in the NFL, while ranking fifth in offensive DVOA, according to fantasy outsiders, making them an offense that we want pieces of for fantasy football.

Although much of the credit goes to their passing game, their rushing attack has been fruitful for fantasy as well, evidenced by Joe Mixon averaging 16.04 points per game in half-PPR scoring. However, two weeks ago, Mixon went down with a concussion, thrusting Samaje Perine into the starting role.

After back-to-back top-10 performances as the lead back, many managers are wondering if this will continue. Should you pick him up in fantasy leagues after his Week 13 showing? Let's dig in.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

What Did Samaje Perine Do In Week 13?

Samaje Perine carried the ball 21 times for 106 yards, adding six receptions for 49 yards. He finished with the second-most rushing yards and third-most receiving yards of all running backs in Week 13. He was also the only player at his position who ended the week in the top 12 without a touchdown. All of which points to the incredible role he's had over the past two weeks.

You can see here that the workload he's getting is actually high than Mixon's because there isn't a true backup to steal touches, especially receptions.

Were There Any Worrying Signs With Samaje Perine In Week 13?

Nothing about what Perine did is cause for concern. The issue is that he's likely to remain the backup once Mixon returns.

Early Sunday morning, it became evident Mixon was probably going to miss another game. However, there was a lot of optimism at the beginning of the week, meaning he could be back for Week 14.

Should I Pickup Samaje Perine Off the Waiver Wire in Fantasy Football?

If he is still available in your league, he is a priority add that is well worth spending up for. You will either be acquiring a starting running back with top-12 upside against the Browns in Week 14. Or you will have a very valuable insurance back who you can play as a flex option next week because the matchup is so good, and they will likely reduce Mixon's workload.

More Fantasy Football Analysis