Who Should I Start? Zach Charbonnet or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Friday, October 31, 6:31 PM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is not a confident play in Week 9 against the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are No. 16 against opposing running backs in fantasy, but Charbonnet is an inefficient runner with low volume. However, Charbonnet has scored in four of his six games this season for a total of five touchdowns. When he scores, he generally delivers flex or RB2 value. When he has not scored, he has completely sunk your fantasy week. Touchdowns are a difficult statistic to project, but the Seahawks are as good a bet as anyone to find themselves at the goal line, handing the ball off to Charbonnet. This is especially true against a soft Commanders' defense. It is unlikely that you drafted Charbonnet to be a starter, but you may need his services in a week in which four teams are on a bye. If that is the case, the Charbonnet is a solid dart throw, albeit with a very low floor. Proceed with caution with Charbonnet in Week 9 if you must.

Tuesday, November 4, 4:40 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has struggled over the past month after a hot start to the season. The rookie has recorded 51 carries for 151 yards, no touchdowns, and a lost fumble while adding just three receptions (five targets) for nine yards in his past four games. Croskey-Merritt was outproduced by third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. in Washington's blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night. Rodriguez could be earning his way back into a more prominent role on early downs while veteran Jeremy McNichols handles the pass-down responsibilities. Croskey-Merritt has been held below four yards per carry in each of the last four games and has a longest run of just 11 yards in that time. Now, with star quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) out for an extended period of time, the Washington offense as a whole takes a significant hit. Croskey-Merritt doesn't catch passes, and now that the explosive runs have dried up, it's left fantasy managers with a disappointing result. After a promising start to his career, Croskey-Merritt looks more like an RB3/RB4 option than the potential league winner he appeared to be earlier in the year.