Jacory Croskey-Merritt of the Washington Commanders: Fantasy Football Sleeper or Bust?

2025 Fantasy Football & Betting Outlook: Jacory Croskey-Merritt of the Washington Commanders

The Hype vs. The Reality

Washington suddenly has Croskey-Merritt popping up in fantasy chatter and best ball drafts, with some touting him as a potential late-summer steal. The reality, though, is murky. Croskey-Merritt went from a 14th-round afterthought a month ago to a 6th-round riser in recent drafts. That kind of helium usually means one of two things: either the market knows something we don’t, or it’s pure groupthink chasing upside that isn’t really there.

Here’s some perspective: players projected for more rushing yards than Croskey-Merritt include Daniel Jones of the Indianapolis Colts, Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears. If those names are ahead of him in rushing yardage, you’re either buying into an underdog breakout story or holding a bag that doesn’t have much floor.

The Crowded Backfield Problem

The Commanders’ depth chart is already messy. Austin Ekeler still profiles as the veteran lead back, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a legitimate threat for goal-line work. If anything, Rodriguez looks more like the James Conner of the Arizona Cardinals role in a Kliff Kingsbury scheme—an inside-the-five hammer who cuts into touchdown equity.

Without a clear injury opening, Croskey-Merritt is staring at a rotational role. Drafting him at RB30 prices in the 6th/7th round is a leap of faith when there are comparable talents with more defined roles still on the board.

Offensive Context Matters

Yes, Washington upgraded the offensive line—trading for Laremy Tunsil provides a needed boost. But this is still not a dominant unit, and betting on a breakout running back requires either a top-tier line or a massive workload. Croskey-Merritt has neither locked in.

The only saving grace is scheme. If this is truly Kingsbury’s offense, the run game will get volume and red-zone chances. But history tells us he leans on defined lead backs, not committees. Unless Croskey-Merritt leaps both Ekeler and Rodriguez, his path to fantasy relevancy looks overstated.

Betting Angle: Overvalued Futures & Props

Sportsbooks have caught on to the hype, setting Croskey-Merritt’s season rushing yard prop in the low 400s range. At first glance, that feels like a buy-low number. But when rookie quarterbacks and aging vets are projected higher, that tells you the market isn’t banking on him becoming a true feature back.

• Fade Spot: Croskey-Merritt at current ADP (Rounds 6–7) is a trap. The juice is gone.

• Prop Look: The under on rushing yards is the sharper side, especially with Washington signaling committee usage.

• Longshot Angle: If Rodriguez carves out the red-zone role, Croskey-Merritt’s touchdown prop unders could carry hidden value.

Final Word

Croskey-Merritt is one of those fantasy lightning rods—he looks like a bargain on the surface, but dig deeper and the upside is already priced in. The Commanders have too many cooks in the backfield kitchen, and the offensive line isn’t strong enough to bail out a rotational role. If you landed him late in early drafts, congrats. But at his current ADP, he’s not a player I’m betting on—fantasy or futures.

You can read all about what’s going on in the National Football League at SportsGrid.com.