Rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a five-minute window where he looked like the next big thing in the fantasy football world. The Washington Commanders reportedly traded Brian Robinson in part because they believed the seventh-round pick was a diamond in the rough and a starting-caliber back. However, he’s currently the fourth-string running back on Washington’s depth chart, so was the hype premature?
Fantasy Football: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Panic Meter?
Depth Chart Woes
While you always want to monitor the web for updates on your favorite players, paralysis by analysis is definitely a thing in the fantasy football world. Overanalyzing the depth chart is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make in the fantasy world, as it often does not reflect reality.
With the partial exception of highly drafted players, coaches make their rookies earn larger roles by proving they can handle the challenges of life in the NFL. Performing well in practice and during the preseason is one thing, but nothing can replicate the speed of a professional football game. Jacory Croskey-Merritt will likely ease into his new role, much like Alvin Kamara back in the day. For the younger fantasy football players, Kamara began his career as the Saints third-string running back behind Mark Ingram and the corpse of Adrian Peterson. However, talent eventually won out, and Kamara finished his rookie season as the RB3.
If the coaching staff is correct about Jacory Croskey-Merritt, he will earn a larger role in fantasy football as the season progresses. However, even if he earns a larger share of work, nobody should be too excited about him.
Low Ceiling, Low Floor
As a seventh-round pick with pedestrian collegiate tape, there is a decent chance that Jacory Croskey-Merritt becomes another victim of a derailed fantasy football hype train. However, even if he earns a starting job, his limited ceiling makes him an uninspired option for the remainder of the season.
Croskey-Merritt is a downhill, physical running back who doesn’t do much of anything in the passing game. Targets are the most valuable types of touches in fantasy football, and it’s hard to envision a world where he sees more than a handful of checkdowns on the season. With this in mind, any fantasy football value he generates will need to be on the ground. This means that he’ll need to either finish the season with double-digit touchdowns or be a legitimate three-down workhorse to have any real value in fantasy this year.
Quite frankly, it’s hard to envision either scenario happening in 2025. Jayden Daniels is one of the NFL’s more mobile quarterbacks, and the second-year quarterback’s mobility will lead to fewer early-down rushes for Croskey-Merritt. Additionally, while he was a solid short-yardage runner in college, he probably isn’t good enough to keep Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr on the sideline indefinitely.
Ultimately, Jacory Croskey-Merritt will probably finish the year in the RB25-30 range in fantasy football. This will be a running back by committee, and Croskey-Merritt’s lack of a defined workload and pass-catching upside makes him an unremarkable option for the upcoming season. You shouldn’t start him in Week 1, but he might offer some upside as a bye week streamer down the stretch.
Main Photo: Amber Searls – Imagn Images
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