Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Saturday, September 6, 10:57 AM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen is set to work behind incumbent starter Breece Hall in the team's opening matchup with the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. The Wisconsin alum handled a modest workload during his rookie season, combining for 482 yards and three total touchdowns on 111 touches. 2025 will be a different story, though, as the second-year pro should see a sizable workload rotating in behind Hall. New York projects to funnel most of their offense through the rushing attack, though that will include quarterback Justin Fields, and potentially third-string rushing option Isaiah Davis. Allen doesn't figure to seize the starting role outright with Hall healthy, but head coach Aaron Glenn has made it clear that he plans to use multiple running backs in their offensive scheme. We don't yet know if the 21-year-old will garner standalone fantasy value, but he's currently one of the upper-echelon options as far as handcuffs go. He comes in at RotoBaller's PPR RB40 for Week 1.

Saturday, September 6, 1:00 AM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt's role in the backfield is still unclear for Week 1 against the Giants. Croskey-Merritt, or who many now refer to as "Bill," was recently listed as RB4 on the team's unofficial depth chart. It becomes a question of whether the Washington coaching staff opts to keep four running backs active on gameday. Austin Ekeler will be in line to see most of the snaps, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols could also be in the mix for touches and play special teams. He is the most explosive and shifty runner in Washington's running back room, which should lead to some touches even if he isn't the starter right away. Croskey-Merritt has been one of the more trendy names of draft season, and he is one of the better upside picks to take. However, the usage is tough to predict for Week 1 and should likely stay on benches.