Who Should I Start? Kyle Monangai or Jacory Croskey-Merritt


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
8.7 40.8 0.3 1.3 11.1 0.1

Kyle Monangai News

Kyle Monangai Does Not Practice on Thursday

Thursday, September 3, 4:20 PM

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) missed another practice on Thursday, according to Zack Pearson of 247 Sports. Monangai suffered a hyperextended right knee in training camp practice on Aug. 16 and was deemed week-to-week earlier this week, but the good news is that the 24-year-old "looked good" while running on a side field on Wednesday, per starting RB D'Andre Swift. Monangai's status for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13, is firmly up in the air, and with Swift suffering an undisclosed injury of his own in Thursday's practice, Chicago's backfield is banged up with the regular-season opener closing in. With the statuses of both Monangai and Swift now in question, Roschon Johnson is becoming a bit more popular for some potential short-term value in Chicago's offense against Carolina in Week 1. Monangai produced an impressive 783 rushing yards and five rushing scores on 169 carries as a rookie after being taken in the seventh round out of Rutgers, but when Swift is healthy, he will continue to be the clear RB2 with little pass-catching upside. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 42 fantasy RB for the 2026 campaign.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.1 43.9 0.4 1.2 8.6 0.1

Jacory Croskey-Merritt News

Jacory Croskey-Merritt Cleared to Play Sunday

Friday, September 11, 9:14 AM

After dealing with a groin injury that limited him in both Wednesday and Thursday's practices, Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) has been cleared to play in Sunday's season-opener against the Eagles, according to head coach Dan Quinn. As a seventh-round rookie in 2025, Croskey-Merritt ran for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking as one of the league's most efficient backs on plays run from under center. With new offensive coordinator David Blough expected to call more such plays, and the second-year runner entering the year with a clean bill of health, Croskey-Merritt has Week 1 flex appeal despite a tough opening matchup. While free-agent acquisition Rachaad White is expected to see much of the Commanders' passing-down work, Croskey-Merritt still profiles as the team's early-down back and should stay involved as long as the game remains close, making him RotoBaller's RB35 for Week 1.


Kyle Monangai vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Still trying to decide between Monangai and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kyle Monangai is projected to score 8.7 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 9.1 points.