Though he entered the game as Washington's No. 3 RB, seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt lived up to his considerable preseason hype by rushing for a team-high 82 yards and his first NFL touchdown as the Commanders cruised to a 21-6 victory over the Giants.
Crosky-Merritt emerged as a fantasy sleeper with a strong preseason showing. The resulting trade of Brian Robinson to San Francisco cemented Crosky-Merritt as a mid-to-late round target with upside.
In Washington's opener, he lived up to that billing.
Veteran RB Austin Ekeler drew the start and was featured in Washington's first two drives, playing 13 snaps in the first quarter.
However, in the 2nd quarter, Croskey-Merritt made an impact, churning off an 11-yard gain and capping the drive with his first touchdown from 6 yards out.
Later, he cut loose for a 41-yard gainer and ended the game with 10 totes, averaging a healthy 8.2 yards per carry.
Washington's backfield distribution:
• Ekeler - 33 snaps, 6 attempts, 3 targets
• Croskey-Merritt - 23 snaps, 10 attempts, 1 target
• Jeremy McNichols - 13 snaps, 4 attempts, 0 targets
Despite being out-snapped by Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt was more effective and likely earned a bigger share of the RB carries moving forward.
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