Who Should I Start? Jonathon Brooks or Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | 33.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 0.1 |
Jonathon Brooks News
Saturday, August 15, 1:19 PM
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks started in Saturday's 29-14 loss against the Buffalo Bills and struggled to find any running room. Brooks rushed for five yards on three attempts while catching one pass for nine yards on Saturday. He logged seven of nine snaps with the first-team offense and was targeted once on three routes run. The 23-year-old had trouble finding running room as the offensive line struggled to open any lanes for him, as he averaged a measly 1.7 yards per carry. While the Panthers offense looked sluggish on Saturday, the good news is that Brooks looked healthy, as it was his first NFL snap he played since December 8, 2024. Brooks could see a heavy workload early on as Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) is week-to-week and likely questionable for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Brooks has been a trendy name whose fantasy stock has risen with a strong training camp. He is steadily becoming a running back to target in the middle rounds at his current Yahoo Fantasy ADP of 77 and is ranked 91st overall in the latest RotoBaller rankings.
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
Wednesday, August 19, 12:33 PM
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the current favorite to be his team's starter in the backfield, according to Ben Standig of the Last Man Standig Substack. A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Croskey-Merritt recorded 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries across 17 games (seven starts) as a rookie. The Commanders also roster veteran backs Rachaad White and Jeremy McNichols (quadriceps), as well as rookie Kaytron Allen, all of whom could push Croskey-Merritt for playing time. Croskey-Merritt recorded just nine catches on 13 targets last season, so he's unlikely to play a true three-down role in Washington. Still, the 25-year-old is a high-upside rusher who should provide value for fantasy managers as long as he sees regular work in the Commanders' offense. RotoBaller currently ranks Croskey-Merritt as the RB38 for redraft leagues entering 2026.
Jonathon Brooks vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Still trying to decide between Brooks and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonathon Brooks is projected to score 7.2 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 8.2 points.
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