Who Should I Start? James Conner or Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.9 | 43.6 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 14.1 | 0.1 |
James Conner News
Monday, February 16, 7:27 AM
The Athletic's Doug Haller believes that Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Conner has been a major asset to Arizona's offense during his five years with the team and is among the most respected players in the locker room, but he's also coming off a severe foot injury that limited him to just three games in 2025. He'll turn 31 years old in May and is under contract through the 2026 season, and cutting him would save the Cardinals around $8 million. Cutting Conner would allow the team to use the extra money to find a younger replacement in the backfield. The Cardinals would face a $2.25 million dead-cap hit by releasing Conner if he's a pre-June 1 cut. Even though Conner had two 1,000-yard seasons before his injury last year, he will most likely struggle to find a prominent role as a lead back in either Arizona or somewhere else next season while coming off a serious injury.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.4 | 47.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 0.0 |
Jacory Croskey-Merritt News
Thursday, February 19, 8:38 AM
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a 7th-round pick in 2025 following an unorthodox finish to his college career, and he became a popular sleeper pick heading into his first season. With the Commanders' running back room lacking obvious star talent, the path was there for the explosive young back to claim the top spot. Following an early-season injury to Austin Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt was given multiple chances to secure the role. While he was never able to take a stranglehold of the position, injuries and ineffectiveness around him never let him stray too far from relevance. With Ekeler set to hit the open market and Chris Rodriguez Jr. a restricted free agent, Washington will likely bring in another back to compete for touches. However, after putting up two of his best games against divisional foes over the final month of the season, Croskey-Merritt should have every chance to compete for a primary role again in 2026.
James Conner vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Still trying to decide between Conner and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that James Conner is projected to score 10.9 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 8.4 points.
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