Who Should I Start? Cordarrelle Patterson or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Thursday, July 24, 6:31 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson (undisclosed) missed the team's first training camp practice on Thursday with an undisclosed injury, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Patterson is considered day-to-day, which means he should be able to rejoin his teammates soon. In his first year with the Steelers in 2024, Patterson carried the ball 32 times for 132 yards and no touchdowns while catching 12 of his 14 targets for 80 yards and a touchdown. Although Najee Harris is out of town, the Steelers added Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon in free agency and drafted Kaleb Johnson, so the 34-year-old Patterson once again figures to struggle for consistent touches in a backfield that also includes Jaylen Warren. Patterson is definitely versatile on offense, but he will be off the fantasy radar once again in most leagues.

Tuesday, May 27, 3:06 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a potential sleeper to watch during the team's offseason activities, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. "A back-end roster player who could garner significant attention in the offseason: Jacory Croskey-Merritt," Standig wrote. "The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder has the goods to get there despite sitting out nearly the entire 2024 college season with eligibility issues. If Kingsbury falls for this competitive runner's one-cut burst, there could be a running back room shake-up." The seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Alabama State before a breakout season at New Mexico, where he rushed 189 times for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2024 at Arizona, he rushed 13 times for 106 yards and one score in one game appearance. While Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler remain penciled in as the RB1 and RB2 for Washington, it sounds like Croskey-Merritt is a name worth monitoring later in the offseason. If he makes the roster, he could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and dynasty leagues. Last season, third-string running back Jeremy McNichols popped up on the fantasy radar, so anything is possible.