Who Should I Start? Jonathan Taylor or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, September 14, 9:09 PM

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had a monster game in his team's Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos. The 26-year-old logged 25 carries for 165 yards and also caught two passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Across the first two games of the season, Taylor has now recorded 313 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 total touches. The Colts' offense has been surprisingly effective so far overall, dropping 33 points on the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 and 29 on Denver in Week 2. Taylor is a must-start fantasy running back with high-end RB1 upside as long as he stays healthy and the Indianapolis offense remains competent.

Friday, September 12, 9:26 PM

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is expected to step in as the Washington Commanders' starter following the devastating Achilles injury to Austin Ekeler in Thursday night's 27-18 loss to Green Bay. Croskey-Merritt has flashed efficiency early, posting 14 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown through two games despite playing fewer than 33% of the snaps. With only Jeremy McNichols currently active alongside him, the rookie should handle the bulk of early-down rushing duties, while McNichols sees work in passing situations. Chris Rodriguez Jr., a healthy scratch in the first two games, is also a candidate to be active moving forward. While Croskey-Merritt entered the season as a deep sleeper, he suddenly finds himself in line for a heavy workload. He's now an important fantasy asset with starting potential for the remainder of the 2025 season.