Who Should I Start? D'Andre Swift or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Thursday, November 20, 3:39 PM

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (hip) was a full participant in practice on Thursday as he continues to deal with a hip injury, according to Michal Dwojak of Bears Insider. Swift was listed as limited on Wednesday with his hip injury. The 26-year-old followed a similar practice plan last week before being cleared, playing 57% of the offensive snaps, and turning 21 carries into 90 rushing yards in the Week 11 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie Kyle Monangai continues to be involved behind Swift and even scored again on Sunday, but if healthy, Swift is going to remain Chicago's clear lead back. Barring a setback in practice on Friday, Swift should be cleared from the Bears' final injury report heading into Week 12's game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. The matchup isn't an ideal one, but Swift's volume alone should keep him in the RB2 tier for fantasy managers.

Friday, November 21, 9:36 AM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, out of Arizona, has seen his role decrease over the past few weeks. Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw a season-high 15 carries in Week 11 and ran for a very solid 5.27 YPC. Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt saw a 27 percent snap share, and although he carried the ball nine times and caught one pass, it all added up to 33 all-purpose yards (3.11 YPC) against the Miami Dolphins in Spain. The Commanders are on a bye in Week 12, and it appears that this running back room is starting to shape out in a way where Rodriguez will get a bulk of the carries, Croskey-Merrritt will be the change of pace back, and Jeremy McNichols will get mixed in as the pass-catching option. Knowing all of this, it makes Rodriguez the clear running back to own in this backfield, and Croskey-Merritt can be dropped to the waiver wire if your team is in a pinch and you need to fill the roster spot with someone that can help you win now. In Week 13, the Commanders get the Denver Broncos, where none of the running backs will be a recommended start, as the Broncos' defense ranks top 5 in points allowed against opposing running backs.