Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Jacory Croskey-Merritt enters the 2026 fantasy football season as one of the more intriguing late-round running back bets. The buzz is real because Washington’s backfield has opened up after Brian Robinson Jr. was traded and Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending injury, leaving Croskey-Merritt in a three-man committee with Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols. That setup does not guarantee a feature role, but it does give him a clear path to touches and a much better fantasy outlook than he had earlier in his career.

The biggest thing to monitor is health. Croskey-Merritt missed time during spring work with a soft-tissue issue, but recent reports say he returned to practice and looked healthy, which is a good sign this late in the summer. He was also held out of a preseason game, which fits the cautious approach Washington has taken rather than suggesting a major setback.

From a fantasy perspective, the appeal is straightforward: if he wins the lead role, his combination of rushing volume and scoring opportunity could make him a strong value at his current draft cost. Recent projections have him in the RB4 range with around 100-plus PPR points, while some rankings see him as a bench option with upside rather than a locked-in starter. The Commanders’ offense also offers enough scoring potential that a back with goal-line work could outplay his draft slot.

The risk is that this remains a committee, and committees can flatten weekly ceiling quickly. Croskey-Merritt is best viewed as a high-upside RB3/RB4 target who can become much more valuable if Washington leans on him early and often, but he is not a safe pick if you need immediate weekly stability. In drafts, he makes the most sense as a measured upside swing rather than a player to build your roster around.