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

Wednesday, October 29, 5:13 PM

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (groin) was listed as a non-participant during Wednesday's practice, the first of the week. Swift also missed practice last Wednesday before two straight limited practices. He ultimately played in the Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but played under half of the offensive snaps while totaling 73 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on his 13 touches. His DNP to begin the week is notable, but as long as he returns to practice on Thursday or Friday, he should be active this weekend in a very favorable matchup on Sunday on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 26-year-old has been a focal point of head coach Ben Johnson's offense in 2025, making him a must-start in fantasy lineups if he's active. If for some reason Swift is limited or out in Week 9, rookie Kyle Monangai would be a plug-and-play option at RB in fantasy.

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.