Who Should I Start? Tyjae Spears or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Wednesday, October 15, 9:26 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears is coming off his second game of the season since starting the year on the injured reserve with an ankle issue, and in Week 6, he out-snapped backfield mate Tony Pollard 59% to 43%. Additionally, accumulated 50 all-purpose yards on nine total touches (five on the ground and four through the air) to Pollard's 47 all-purpose yards on 12 opportunities. While the entire Titans offense has struggled mightily this year, Pollard has not been able to do much with his opportunities as the lead-back early in the year, averaging only 3.93 YPC. With the younger and more explosive running back in Spears now ramped up, it's possible he could take over the lead-back role down the stretch, or at the very least, continue to be used 50/50 with Pollard, which gives him some flex appeal moving forward. Spears has proven, when given the opportunity, that he can be a top-15 running back when given the chance. Last year, when Pollard went down with an injury, Spears had three top 15 finishes at the running back position to end the year. Fantasy managers will want to make sure that Spears is not on their waiver wires moving forward.

Friday, October 10, 7:32 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt broke out with his best game of the season in Week 5 against the Chargers, totaling 150 yards and two touchdowns on 16 touches. The Croskey-Merritt takeover finally happened in Week 5, posting a season-high 50.9% snap share, handling 50% of the team's rush attempts, and running 31.3% of the team's routes. All marks were the highest of any Washington back in Week 5, and he delivered with a remarkable performance. For the season, he's rushed 283 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries, averaging a league-best 6.6 yards per carry. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury provided some reason to keep the optimism in check, saying that the rookie still has "ways to go" in terms of playing without the ball in his hands. His work in pass protection has improved, but that is still an area where veteran Jeremy McNichols is most trusted. Third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw his lowest snap count and fewest carries in a game since becoming active in Week 5, suggesting he may be slipping back into a depth role. Croskey-Merritt should be expected to handle the bulk of the touches again in Week 6 against a Bears defense that is allowing an absurd 6.1 yards per carry and the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs. He should be fired up as a high-upside RB2 on Monday night.