Samaje Perine's Updated Fantasy Outlook With Joe Mixon Out for Bengals vs. Titans

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine could steal the fantasy football spotlight for the second straight week after being elevated to a starting role for Sunday's road game against the Tennessee Titans.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced Friday that starting rusher Joe Mixon will miss the contest because of a concussion.

Mixon suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's 37-30 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Perine was already in the midst of a terrific performance.

The 27-year-old former University of Oklahoma standout—he set the FBS record with 427 rushing yards in a 2014 game with the Sooners—finished the victory over the Steelers with 82 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

"How impressed was I with my performance? I thought I just did whatever I could to help the team win," Perine told reporters.

While his rushing numbers were modest (30 yards on 11 carries), his involvement in the passing game is a great sign for his fantasy prospects this week. It opens the door for him to play a three-down role that could lead him to secure upward of 20 touches on Sunday.

Trayveon Williams, the Bengals' No. 3 running back, has two carries this season.

The bad news for Perine's fantasy stock is facing a Titans defense that ranks second in rushing yards allowed per game (82.2) so far in 2022. Tennessee has also given up just two rushing touchdowns in 10 games.

That caps the Alabama native's Week 12 upside a bit, but the high volume of snaps he's likely to receive keeps him firmly in the fantasy starter conversation.

All told, consider Perine a mid-level No. 2 running back or solid lottery ticket for one of the flex spots in fantasy this week.

His recent play may even earn him a more consistent role once Mixon returns, but it likely won't be enough to warrant starting consideration when the team's No. 1 back is active.