Who Should I Start? Jaydon Blue or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Monday, November 17, 7:15 PM

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo are both healthy scratches for the Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Blue didn't do anything over the bye week to convince the Cowboys that he deserved to be active in Week 11. The 21-year-old drew rave reviews in training camp during the summer, but he has been active in only four games in his first year in the NFL and has 22 rushing attempts for 65 yards while catching one pass for five yards. The Cowboys elevated Malik Davis to the active 53-man roster, and he will operate as the RB2 behind starter Javonte Williams on Monday. Mingo was activated from the Injured Reserve before the Week 8 game, but he has yet to play so far in 2025.

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.