Who Should I Start? Kalel Mullings or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, May 11, 1:45 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie running back Kalel Mullings (abdomen) is recovering from offseason core-muscle surgery and will be limited at the team's rookie minicamp, according to the Nashville Post's John Glennon. Additionally, rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr. (knee) is not participating at minicamp, although he's getting closer to a return from his knee injury. The 22-year-old Mullings was taken in the sixth round of this year's NFL draft. When he's cleared from his injury, he will compete for the RB3 role in Tennessee in his first year in the league behind running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Mullings won't have any redraft fantasy value in 2025 unless one of Pollard or Spears miss time with injury. Winston, who was taken in the third round, is recovering from a torn right ACL that caused him to miss most of the 2024 season at Penn State.

Tuesday, May 27, 3:06 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a potential sleeper to watch during the team's offseason activities, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. "A back-end roster player who could garner significant attention in the offseason: Jacory Croskey-Merritt," Standig wrote. "The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder has the goods to get there despite sitting out nearly the entire 2024 college season with eligibility issues. If Kingsbury falls for this competitive runner's one-cut burst, there could be a running back room shake-up." The seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Alabama State before a breakout season at New Mexico, where he rushed 189 times for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2024 at Arizona, he rushed 13 times for 106 yards and one score in one game appearance. While Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler remain penciled in as the RB1 and RB2 for Washington, it sounds like Croskey-Merritt is a name worth monitoring later in the offseason. If he makes the roster, he could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and dynasty leagues. Last season, third-string running back Jeremy McNichols popped up on the fantasy radar, so anything is possible.