Who Should I Start? Travis Homer or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Monday, March 17, 10:03 PM

Free-agent running back Travis Homer re-signed with the Chicago Bears on Monday on a one-year, $2 million deal, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Homer will be back for a third year in the Windy City and is currently the No. 3 behind D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. The 26-year-old former sixth-round selection (204th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 out of the University of Miami (FL) saw a grand total of six rushing attempts for 23 yards while catching three of four targets for 11 yards in 26 games (no starts) over the last two years in Chicago, so he hasn't been a very big part of the offense. A hamstring injury kept him sidelined for the final three games in 2024, but he should be good to go for training camp this summer. Homer will once again be nowhere near the fantasy radar for the Bears heading into 2025 drafts.

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.