Who Should I Start? Sione Vaki or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Friday, August 9, 3:34 AM

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki rushed four times for 29 yards during Thursday's preseason loss to the New York Giants. He broke off a solid 15-yard run in the effort, but perhaps his best play was a fumble recovery after a Giants defender lost the football on an interception return. A fourth-round pick out of Utah, Vaki projects to make the 53-man roster, slotting in behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the running back depth chart. He's an appealing option in deep dynasty leagues (and even deeper redraft formats) given that he could earn a handful of opportunities if Montgomery or Gibbs miss any time in 2024.

Tuesday, May 27, 3:06 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a potential sleeper to watch during the team's offseason activities, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. "A back-end roster player who could garner significant attention in the offseason: Jacory Croskey-Merritt," Standig wrote. "The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder has the goods to get there despite sitting out nearly the entire 2024 college season with eligibility issues. If Kingsbury falls for this competitive runner's one-cut burst, there could be a running back room shake-up." The seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Alabama State before a breakout season at New Mexico, where he rushed 189 times for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2024 at Arizona, he rushed 13 times for 106 yards and one score in one game appearance. While Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler remain penciled in as the RB1 and RB2 for Washington, it sounds like Croskey-Merritt is a name worth monitoring later in the offseason. If he makes the roster, he could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and dynasty leagues. Last season, third-string running back Jeremy McNichols popped up on the fantasy radar, so anything is possible.