Analyze Samaje Perine's matchup for week 10
Perine and the Bengals are on bye in Week 10, so he’s automatically unstartable; even when Cincinnati returns, he’s a distant RB2/handcuff whose 38 % snap share and 3–6 touch role caps any upside.
Cincinnati is idle in Week 10, removing Perine from the fantasy player pool entirely. When the Bengals resume play in Week 11, he projects to remain the clear passing-down complement to Chase Brown, likely seeing 3–6 carries and 2–4 targets only if game script falls favorably. Defenses have not needed to key on Perine because Brown dominates early-down work, so any future matchup will hinge more on script than on opponent weakness.
Usage has fallen from 47 % of snaps mid-season to 38 % the last three weeks, and his touch count has settled into a low-single-digit floor with sporadic red-zone opps.
The most critical factor for Samaje Perine in Week 10 is that the Bengals are on bye, rendering any start/sit deliberation moot for this specific week. Even if the schedule advanced to Week 11, the underlying usage data paints a bleak fantasy picture: Perine’s snap share has trended downward from 47 % earlier in the year to 38 % over the last three games, and he has failed to top six carries in any contest since Week 4. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher has clearly tethered Perine to obvious passing downs, capping both volume and touchdown probability behind a healthy Chase Brown.
Beyond the bye, the offensive line’s resurgence in pass protection has actually hurt Perine’s target ceiling; Joe Burrow is getting the ball out quicker on early downs, reducing check-downs to the back. Perine’s lone splash game—a 94-yard, one-score outing versus the Jets—came when Brown briefly left with cramps, highlighting how injury-dependent any spike week truly is. In negative game scripts the Bengals prefer to empty the backfield with WRs and TEs, further squeezing Perine’s routes. Unless you are in a full-PPR league deeper than 14 teams, his projected 6–8 touches and zero goal-line work do not clear the bar for flex consideration.
Long-term, Perine’s roster value is handcuff-only. If Chase Brown were to miss time, Perine would vault into a 15-touch, pass-catching role inside a top-12 scoring offense, making him an immediate RB2 with upside. Until that scenario unfolds, stash him on your bench and spend your active roster spots on backs who command weekly touches independent of injury. In Week 10, simply keep him in your IR or bench slot and use the free roster spot to add a bye-week fill-in or a high-upside waiver dart.