Who Should I Start? Quentin Johnston or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Friday, October 17, 6:23 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (hamstring) is trending towards playing after missing last week due to a hamstring injury, logging a full practice on Friday. When healthy, Johnston has been productive, averaging 75.4 yards per game with 26 catches, 377 yards, and four touchdowns so far this season, with a 50% deep target rate. He now faces a weak Indianapolis Colts defense that ranks 22nd in Opponent Passing Yards per Game and has a banged-up secondary, which favors his downfield targets. Although his recent injury may have caused his ranking to decline, the high-scoring nature of this game should keep him heavily involved, especially in the red zone. RotoBaller projects Johnston as WR26 this week. If he is active, he should be considered a high-risk, high-reward WR3.

Friday, October 17, 8:48 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had his worst performance of the season in Week 6 against the Bears, handling 17 carries for 61 yards with one reception for seven yards and losing a fumble for the second consecutive game. It's concerning to see him put the ball on the ground this frequently, but the coaching staff showed faith in him and went right back to him. On a positive note, the rookie seventh-rounder posted his highest snap share of the season at 66.7%. Croskey-Merritt should again handle the bulk of the touches in Week 7 against a Dallas defense that just allowed Rico Dowdle to rack up 239 total yards. They are allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs, which sets up Croskey-Merritt for a nice bounce-back game. He is a must-start in Week 7.