I don’t think there is a better fit for the “post hype” label than the artist known as “Bill”. During the 2025 preseason, he saw his expectations spike. Injuries around him opened up a role, and this offense looked like one of the best in the league during Jayden Daniels’ rookie season, thus making that RB1 title a valuable one.
Should I Draft Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Fantasy Football?
We got ahead of ourselves.
We lost the plot on a seventh-round rookie who hardly played during his final season in college. The Daniels injuries tanked the potential of this offense and made our August exuberance an October nightmare.
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We are a grudge-holding bunch, and I think we’ve overcorrected.
There were 29 RBs with 160+ carries last season, and Croskey-Merritt ranked sixth among them in percentage of totes that gained 10+ yards (just ahead of Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Jahmyr Gibbs). The consistency wasn’t elite, but the setting wasn’t what we thought it would be.
Now it is.
The Commanders brought in Rachaad White this offseason, and that’s going to impact this offense in a way that doesn’t matter for those of us getting into the JCM business.
These are two running backs with dimetric strengths: both will be asked to do what they are good at and not where they struggle. Croskey-Merritt, in a season where the offense wasn’t moving the ball in nearly the fashion that they expected, scored six times in his eight games with double-digit carries.
If you’re picking around #100 overall and have the potential for 1,000 yards and double-digit TDs, what’s not to like?
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In this range is a hobbled Alec Pierce, an RB likely on the backend of a committee in Kenny Gainwell, and an RB I’m actively voiding in Aaron Jones. This isn’t a hard or expensive click to make, and this is an offense I want exposure to.
Easy game.
Kyle Soppe’s RB Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Blake Corum | LAR
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- James Conner | ARI
- Kimani Vidal | LAC
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Jaylen Wright | MIA
- Woody Marks | HOU
