Jacory Croskey-Merritt — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Croskey-Merritt spent four seasons at Alabama State before making his mark at the FBS level, accumulating 1,496 combined yards, 14 touchdowns, and 29 catches on 357 touches across 31 games. His transfer to New Mexico in 2023 produced an eye-opening season (189 carries for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven catches for 72 yards and a score). A one-game stint at Arizona the following year (13/106/1) was brief, but he closed his college career on a high note, earning MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Bowl with 97 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

He entered the draft at 24 with a skill set that doesn't fit the conventional running back mold. At 5'10" and 205 pounds, Croskey-Merritt runs with instinctive vision and quickness, hitting cut-back lanes before most defenders even recognize they're developing. His 4.41 40-yard dash at the Big 12 Pro Day confirmed what the tape already suggested.

His profile projects most naturally as a change-of-pace back with third-down utility, but his minimal involvement in the passing game keeps him pigeonholed as an early-down option for now. He plays with a physical edge that shows up on contact. Croskey-Merritt fires into defenders rather than avoiding them, and has the open-field tools to make people miss when he gets a head of steam.

The same physicality that makes him effective also raises durability questions over a long career. Age was a mild concern entering the league at 24, though his relatively low career carry volume softens that somewhat. His most likely path to an early NFL role may come through the return game, where his explosiveness and competitiveness translate immediately.

By Week 1 of 2026, the Commanders cleared a path for Croskey-Merritt to get RB2 snaps by trading Brian Robinson. Three weeks later, Austin Ekeler was done for the year. Washington had their rookie back on the field for 38.6% of their snaps (most on the team). He finished with value in the run game (175/805/8 – 4.6 yards per carry), while seeing only 13 targets (9/68). His two explosive showings came in Week 5 (14/111/2 with two catches for 39 yards) and Week 17 (11/105/2).

On his down days, Croskey-Merritt scored fewer than 9.00 PPR fantasy points in 12 matchups, with eight coming consecutively from Week 6 to Week 14. Despite the appearance of weakness, he ranked 33rd at the running back position in PPR scoring (142.40).

His ADP (129) and running back ranking (43rd) in the National Fantasy Football Championship in late June suggest there is value backed into his price point. I think of him as a 10.00-point fantasy player with some upside unless Washington ups his value in the passing game.