Who Should I Start? Ray Davis or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, January 4, 8:37 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis rushed for 151 yards on 21 carries during Sunday's Week 18 win over the New York Jets. He also caught each of his two targets for an additional 23 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Davis handled the lead-back role with James Cook resting for most of the game and Ty Johnson remaining the backup option. The 26-year-old had his best game since (ironically) Week 18 of last season, when Buffalo was in a similar situation and rested its starters. While Davis will continue to offer a change of pace going forward, Cook will be the workhorse throughout the duration of the playoffs, starting with next weekend's Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tuesday, January 27, 6:49 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a fantasy darling during draft season last fall when the team's RB picture was unsettled. His fantasy stock rose even further after Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending injury early in the year. The 24-year-old seventh-rounder ended up leading the team in carries (175), rushing yards (805), and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he was the RB29 in half-PPR scoring, and he averaged just 8.2 half-PPR points per game in his 17 contests. It didn't help JCM's cause that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels missed most of the season with various injuries. Croskey-Merritt had two 100-yard games in his rookie season, but he also failed to eclipse 50 rushing yards in a game 12 times. The Commanders will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026, and it's hard to say how they'll attack the RB position in free agency and the draft. Croskey-Merritt will have a role next year, but there's a good chance he'll be more of a committee back than a workhorse.