Who Should I Start? David Njoku or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Wednesday, October 22, 11:11 AM

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) will return to practice on Wednesday from the knee injury that sidelined him for the team's Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins, per The Athletic's Zac Jackson. Additionally, Jackson reports that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he is "hopeful" that Njoku will play in Week 8 against the New England Patriots. The 29-year-old recorded 23 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown on 36 targets across six games before getting injured. If Njoku returns, he would likely eat into the workload for Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who earned a team-high five targets in Njoku's absence in Week 7. As long as Njoku and Fannin Jr. are splitting snaps in Cleveland, both players are hard for fantasy managers to trust for anything beyond low-end starter production.

Friday, October 17, 8:48 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had his worst performance of the season in Week 6 against the Bears, handling 17 carries for 61 yards with one reception for seven yards and losing a fumble for the second consecutive game. It's concerning to see him put the ball on the ground this frequently, but the coaching staff showed faith in him and went right back to him. On a positive note, the rookie seventh-rounder posted his highest snap share of the season at 66.7%. Croskey-Merritt should again handle the bulk of the touches in Week 7 against a Dallas defense that just allowed Rico Dowdle to rack up 239 total yards. They are allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs, which sets up Croskey-Merritt for a nice bounce-back game. He is a must-start in Week 7.