JacoryCroskey-Merritt

News: 1 hour agoCroskey-Merritt won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Lions, John Keim of ESPN reports.

Spin: Keim noted that Croskey-Merritt came up "a little gimpy" after a play during Thursday's training camp practice. It doesn't appear to be a long-term concern, but the Commanders will take the cautious route by sidelining the 2025 seventh-rounder for Saturday's exhibition game. Croskey-Merritt will end up not playing in each of the Commanders' first two preseason games, and his last opportunity to suit up before the regular season is this Friday against the Ravens.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: One of the most hyped-up players entering the 2025 fantasy season, Croskey-Merritt didn't quite live up to lofty expectations, but he was certainly very busy for a seventh-round rookie. "Bill" played 39% of Washington's offensive snaps but, while he finished 23rd among backs in rushing yards, he wasn't much of a factor in the passing game (3% target share). Croskey-Merritt will now compete with newcomers Rachaad White and Jerome Ford (among others) in what appears to be setting up as a committee in Washington. The 25-year-old has shown to be an effective rusher (4.60 yards per carry, 2.19 YAC), but he'll need a big boost in receiving work to find his way into the RB2/flex discussion. He's worth only a late-round flier.