Who Should I Start? Omarion Hampton or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Wednesday, November 26, 7:21 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) said he was dealing with a fractured ankle, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Hampton also said he feels "amazing" and is hoping to be a full-go once he's activated from Injured Reserve. The 22-year-old Ohio State product fractured his ankle in Week 5 and has been out since, but he returned to a limited practice on Wednesday and has a shot to play this Sunday versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman hinted this week that Hampton could be in a timeshare with Kimani Vidal upon his return, which somewhat clouds his fantasy value upon his return. Hampton showed just before his ankle fracture that he's capable of RB1 upside with a heavy workload, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations initially if L.A. looks to ease him back into the fold.

Friday, November 21, 9:36 AM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, out of Arizona, has seen his role decrease over the past few weeks. Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw a season-high 15 carries in Week 11 and ran for a very solid 5.27 YPC. Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt saw a 27 percent snap share, and although he carried the ball nine times and caught one pass, it all added up to 33 all-purpose yards (3.11 YPC) against the Miami Dolphins in Spain. The Commanders are on a bye in Week 12, and it appears that this running back room is starting to shape out in a way where Rodriguez will get a bulk of the carries, Croskey-Merrritt will be the change of pace back, and Jeremy McNichols will get mixed in as the pass-catching option. Knowing all of this, it makes Rodriguez the clear running back to own in this backfield, and Croskey-Merritt can be dropped to the waiver wire if your team is in a pinch and you need to fill the roster spot with someone that can help you win now. In Week 13, the Commanders get the Denver Broncos, where none of the running backs will be a recommended start, as the Broncos' defense ranks top 5 in points allowed against opposing running backs.