Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, October 26, 8:20 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for just 25 yards on eight carries during Sunday's Week 8 loss against the Houston Texans. He also caught three of his six targets for an additional 43 receiving yards. McCaffrey had his worst game of the season; his 9.8 points in PPR leagues marked the first time he scored fewer than 22 points in a single game this year. This was a rare dud for McCaffrey, and part of the blame can be attributed to the quarterback position, as Mac Jones (59.4% completion rate, 193 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) struggled to put together many quality drives in place of Brock Purdy (toe). McCaffrey is still one of the most talented running backs in recent NFL history, and he should have no trouble bouncing back against a struggling Giants squad in Week 9.

Saturday, October 25, 7:26 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt broke out for 150 total yards and two touchdowns in Week 5 against the Chargers, but he has disappointed in the past two weeks despite favorable matchups. Croskey-Merritt is still the clear No. 1 back in Washington, posting his three highest rushing attempt and route participation rates of the season over the past three weeks. The seventh-round rookie has still been one of the most efficient runners in the league despite the two-week lull, posting the third-highest success rate (60.3%) and eighth-highest explosive rush rate (6.8%) among running backs with at least 50 carries. He's not as involved in the passing game, which lowers his ceiling a tad, but he is still capable of delivering a big fantasy performance. He'll face a Kansas City Chiefs defense that hasn't been great on a down-to-down basis, ranking 22nd in rush success rate (42.6%). Croskey-Merritt ranks as RotoBaller's RB23 in PPR leagues for Week 8.