The Washington Commanders continue to monitor their backfield as they navigate through the early portion of the season. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has emerged as a key contributor in the Commanders’ rushing attack, but now appears on the injury report for the first time this season. For fantasy football managers keeping tabs on emerging players, what is the latest on his status?
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Injury Update
Croskey-Merritt popped up on Wednesday’s practice report with a knee issue, marking his first appearance on the injury list this season. This represents a new concern for the rookie running back who had been progressing through his development without any notable health problems.
There was no noticeable play during last week’s game in which he appeared to suffer any injury. He completed the contest without any visible difficulties, making this knee issue a development that occurred either during practice this week or as a delayed reaction to something from the previous game.
Wednesday practices are largely meaningless in terms of actual game availability, with teams often exercising extreme caution regarding any player dealing with even minor issues. Veterans routinely receive Wednesday off as a maintenance day, and teams frequently err on the side of caution with injury reporting.
However, because Croskey-Merritt is a rookie, and a seventh-round rookie at that, his absence from practice carries slightly more significance. Rookies typically don’t receive veteran rest days and need every practice repetition to continue their development. When a late-round pick misses practice, it’s usually for legitimate health reasons rather than maintenance.
Despite this distinction, it’s still too soon to panic about his availability. The fact that this is his first injury designation and that it appeared on a Wednesday suggests this could be a minor issue that the team is managing cautiously.
Fantasy managers should tentatively expect Croskey-Merritt to play in Week 4, barring any negative developments in Thursday’s practice session. His participation level on Thursday will provide much clearer insight into the severity of the knee issue and his likelihood of suiting up against Atlanta.
Croskey-Merritt Fantasy Outlook
Last week got a little funky for Washington, and that led to some weird counting numbers. They might not score three 40+ yard touchdowns in another month this season, and they did it in just over a half hour of game time on Sunday.
Having said that, this is a full-blown committee in an offense that, when at full strength, has access to arguably the most athletic QB in the game.
That’s not a recipe for success.
Week 3 Snaps: Chris Rodriguez (21), Croskey-Merritt (21), Jeremy McNichols (14)
Week 3 Touches: Rodriguez (11), Croskey-Merritt (9), McNichols (4)
Regardless of who is under center, I expect this to be a hot-hand situation that brings little to the table for us. The Falcons are the third-best post-contact run defense this season, introducing further risk into a backfield that lacks certainty in any matchup.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe