Jacory Croskey-Merritt Scores Big for Commanders As Chris Rodriguez Scratches Week 1
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In a surprise move today, the Commanders made Chris Rodriguez Jr a healthy scratch in their season debut vs the Giants. The Commanders backfield situation has been very hard to telegraph this offseason. Brian Robinson, their original starter, was traded to the 49ers a few weeks back. It was then thought that Jacory Croskey-Merritt may start until he was listed as the 4th stringer on the depth chart. Hyped then poured to Chris Rodriguez Jr and now he scratches.
Fantasy Football Impact
This Commanders backfield quickly became hard to telegraph, once again. With the absence of Rodriguez, I think that most assumed a split between Austin Ekeler and Jacory Croskey-Merritt, with some leftovers for Jeremy McNichols. Luckily, this went just as predicted in the snap-split.
Today, the Commanders defeated the Giants 21-6. Despite facing a tough defensive line, the Commanders split the carries as follows: Jacory Croskey-Merritt 10 Carries (82Yds), Austin Ekeler 6 Carries (26Yds), Jeremy McNichols 4 Carries (25Yds). It seems as if Croskey-Merritt is going to be the majority back, after all.
Commanders Fantasy Outlook
Stock flows as follows: Up for Croskey-Merritt, Down for Ekeler, Neutral/Unstartable for McNichols, Low for Rodriguez. Performance goes a long way, and when someone stands out, he will continue to get more work. Success is a commodity. Supply and demand — Finance 101. Croskey-Merritt went for 8.2 yards per carry today with a touchdown.
For the fantasy world: Bill Croskey-Merritt has scored a TD. pic.twitter.com/w35S5wkzof
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 7, 2025
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Going forward, I would consider Croskey-Merritt as a very quality FLEX play in fantasy football. He went for 82 yards today against an elite New York Giants front. I would expect his role to increase with equal success in future games versus lesser defenses.
Austin Ekeler
As for Austin Ekeler, he remains to be a more of a 3rd-down back than anything. Towards the end of his career, Ekeler is surely not a workhorse. The Commanders have also emphasized that no one will be the clear cut running back and it is a total split. The only possible player to get a majority of carries would be Bill himself.
Chris Rodriguez Jr
There very well may be good reason for the Rodriguez scratch today, so he is worth waiting on. I would not sell him in panic right away. He very well should play in Week 2 and that is where clarity may be gained in his true offensive role. Between uncertainty and opportunity that may yet arise, Chris Rodriguez is going to remain a good bench stash for the time being.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.