Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
13.4 0.1 0.0 4.8 63.7 0.4

DeVonta Smith News

DeVonta Smith Goes Through Pregame Warmups, Not Playing in the Preseason Opener

Saturday, August 15, 4:31 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, per Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Smith did go through pregame warm-ups despite the injury. The 27-year-old missed seven straight practices at one point with his hamstring injury, but did do some work on the side. Smith would have played if it were a regular-season game, as the injury doesn't appear to be serious. He caught 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns over 17 games last season. Smith is set to be Philadelphia's No. 1 wide receiver after the Eagles dealt A.J. Brown to the Patriots during the offseason. Smith is the Eagles' top wide receiver weapon and could be set for a career year as long as his hamstring injury doesn't linger into the regular season.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
8.2 43.2 0.4 0.8 6.0 0.0

Jacory Croskey-Merritt News

Jacory Croskey-Merritt Sitting Out of Preseason Opener

Friday, August 14, 2:25 PM

With the Washington Commanders sitting their key offensive players in Friday night's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt will be in street clothes, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Rachaad White and Jeremy McNichols (quadriceps) aren't playing either, so rookie Kaytron Allen, Jerome Ford, and Robert Henry should split backfield touches against Miami. Croskey-Merritt led the Commanders' backfield in 2025 after being taken in the seventh round out of the University of Arizona, recording 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries in 17 games played. The Commanders will give Bill every opportunity to earn a bigger workload in Year 2, but White poses a real threat to JCM, especially in the passing game. Croskey-Merritt must also clean up his ball-security issues in order to take the next step. Going into his sophomore campaign, Croskey-Merritt is best viewed as an RB3/flex target in standard-scoring formats. His next chance to suit up in the preseason will come next Saturday on the road against the Detroit Lions.

DeVonta Smith vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Still trying to decide between Smith and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DeVonta Smith is projected to score 13.4 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 8.2 points.