Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, November 23, 8:53 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries during Sunday's Week 12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He also caught three of his four targets for 30 receiving yards and a touchdown. After a bit of a lull earlier in the season, Etienne has bounced back as a highly effective RB1 in fantasy football ever since his bye week. In four games since the bye, he has 301 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards, and four touchdowns while ranking as the overall RB6 in PPR leagues during that span. Unlike last week, Etienne was able to fend off a strong game from backfield-mate Bhayshul Tuten this Sunday. It appears as though Etienne still has a firm grasp on the lead-back role in Jacksonville, keeping him in the top-10 range for next week's matchup against a struggling Tennessee Titans run defense.

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.