Fantasy Football: 3 Things We Learned From Week 11

Samaje Perine Is the Only Show Left in Washington

Whether coach Jay Gruden likes it or not, Samaje Perine is now the primary back for Washington. Gruden's notorious dislike of fumbles likely cost Perine the starting job earlier in the year, but the team now has no choice but to roll with Perine in the coming weeks.

Last week, Rob Kelley hurt his ankle and knee and was placed on injured reserve. This week Chris Thompson suffered a broken leg, leading to Perine's first game this year with more than 100 rushing yards and (by far) his highest snap percentage of the season.

Even if Perine fumbles in the coming weeks, it's going to be hard for the team to bench him with such little backfield competition on their roster. He has the running back opportunity market cornered and draws favorable matchups in the next two weeks against the 23rd- and 28th-ranked defenses, per our schedule-adjusted metrics.

Sometimes when a running back gets hurt, what's left of his backfield devolves into a committee devoid of fantasy value. In Perine's case, there's no one left to stop him from producing fantasy points this season.