Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones Sr. or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Thursday, October 23, 7:26 PM

After being activated from Injured Reserve earlier in the day, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) is officially active and will return to play against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football. Jones is returning to action this week for the first time since injuring his hamstring in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It's surely a boost for Minnesota's ground game, but on a short week after he returned to practice on Tuesday, it seems unlikely that the 30-year-old veteran will see more touches in the backfield over Jordan Mason, who has been serving as the team's lead back when Jones was on IR. The Chargers were just dominated on the ground by Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, but Jones is an extremely risky lineup option on a short week without much practice time. Mason is the better play against the Bolts.

Friday, October 17, 8:48 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had his worst performance of the season in Week 6 against the Bears, handling 17 carries for 61 yards with one reception for seven yards and losing a fumble for the second consecutive game. It's concerning to see him put the ball on the ground this frequently, but the coaching staff showed faith in him and went right back to him. On a positive note, the rookie seventh-rounder posted his highest snap share of the season at 66.7%. Croskey-Merritt should again handle the bulk of the touches in Week 7 against a Dallas defense that just allowed Rico Dowdle to rack up 239 total yards. They are allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs, which sets up Croskey-Merritt for a nice bounce-back game. He is a must-start in Week 7.