Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or Jacory Croskey-Merritt


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.4 54.1 0.6 1.2 8.8 0.1

Kenneth Walker III News

Kenneth Walker III Won't Get the Franchise Tag

Tuesday, March 3, 7:19 AM

Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III will not get the franchise tag on Tuesday, sources told Peter Schrager of ESPN. Walker will become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year and will be one of the top options at the position on the open market after his strong finish to the 2025 season in the playoffs. It doesn't mean that Seattle won't bring Walker back, but they'll have plenty of competition for his services. The 25-year-old was finally able to play a full season last year, which resulted in his second career 1,000-yard season while adding five rushing touchdowns on 221 rushing attempts in 17 regular-season games. He was even better in three postseason games, rushing for 313 yards and four TDs on 65 carries. Walker has proven to be an efficient ball-carrier in his four years with Seattle, but lower-body injuries have plagued him, which will make him a risk/reward fantasy selection in a potential timeshare in 2026.


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

Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Line for Starting Role in 2026?

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.


Kenneth Walker III vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Still trying to decide between Walker III and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kenneth Walker III is projected to score 11.4 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 8.4 points.