Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt drew his first official start and made it count, rushing 14 times for 111 yards and a pair of TDs in Washington's 27-10 victory over the Chargers. Croskey Merritt scored Washington's first TD on a 15-yard run in the second quarter. In the third quarter, he added a 5-yard scoring run to give the Commanders the lead for good.
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
The Commanders have stayed committed to a three-man backfield since Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Week 5 was the first time that Croskey-Merritt was on the field to open the game and he quickly became the focal point for a Washington offense that welcomed back QB Jayden Daniels after a two-week absence.
Croskey-Merritt led the backfield in snaps (28), carries (14), receptions (2), and yards (150).
Chris Rodriguez, who has started the last two games, played just 14 snaps and was held to 7 rushing yards on 5 attempts. Jeremy McNichols ran one more route (13) than Crosky-Merritt but only had 2 touches.
This is the second consecutive game that McNichols only logged 2 touches. Despite his role as the team's main pass-catching back, McNichols is well off the fantasy radar.
Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt is trending in the right direction. He took command of the backfield this week and looks like a quality RB3/flex option with weekly RB2 upside.