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Should I start Jacory Croskey-Merritt, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard for Week 6? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Throughout the opening month of the season, fantasy managers have seen many RB2s deliver both elite and disappointing production. In this piece, we will spotlight three running backs who hold RB2 value this season but have also fallen short of expectations at times.
All three running backs we'll discuss are coming off a strong showing and will look to carry momentum into their Week 6 matchup.
So, should fantasy managers start Croskey-Merritt, Montgomery, or Pollard in Week 6? Let's dive in and find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Should I Start Jacory Croskey-Merritt for Fantasy Football?
After nearly taking the starting job in training camp, Croskey-Merritt wasted little time ot make a mark when he totaled 82 yards and a score in his NFL debut during the victory over the Giants in Week 1. However, in Weeks 2, 3, and 4, Croskey-Merritt saw his opportunities decrease as he split carries alongside Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols.
As a result, many viewed Croskey-Merritt as a FLEX option in a Week 5 matchup against a potent Chargers defense. However, the seventh-round rookie was able to operate as the lead back in the contest, and he ran for 111 yards and two scores on just 14 carries. Through the air, he caught both of his targets for an additional 39 yards.
In this contest, the seventh-round rookie was depicted as the clear RB1 in Washington as Rodriguez and McNichols logged only 25% of the snaps, while Croskey-Merritt saw 47%. His 14 total carries were also a season-high.
Seeing the Commanders lean on the Arizona product in a close game bodes well for his rest-of-season outlook.
This weekend, Croskey-Merritt could be in store for another impressive showing facing the Chicago Bears, who have allowed the third-most PPR points to RBs this season.
While he could see his ceiling slightly limited if Rodriguez were to have a larger role, given his usage last week and elite matchup, Croskey-Merritt carries strong RB2 value in all formats this weekend.
Bill Croskey-Merritt keeps getting yards
WASvsLAC on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/j0gXwwNO6n
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Should I Start David Montgomery for Fantasy Football?
Montgomery has flashed high-end RB2 value at times this season, but has fallen short of expectations as well. Last weekend, Montgomery punched in two touchdowns and totaled 18.2 PPR points during their victory over the Bengals.
Through five games, Montgomery has eclipsed 12.0 PPR points in three of them, but has fallen below 9.0 PPR points in the other two. In those games, Montgomery faced two top-20 defensive teams (in terms of PPR points allowed to RBs, which limited his production). However, in his productive showings, Montgomery faced much easier opportunities as all three teams sat among the top-3 in terms of PPR points below the position.
As a result, while Montgomery has produced at times, his production appears to be matchup-dependent. This weekend, the Lions will face a tougher matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Through five games, the Chiefs have allowed the 14th-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs, which will limit Montgomery's ceiling.
In addition, in their past two games, Kansas City's rushing defense has taken a step forward, allowing only 49 yards to Travis Etienne Jr. in Week 5 and 42 yards to Derrick Henry the week prior.
While Montgomery should see double-digit attempts once again, he will be touchdown-dependent facing a much tougher rushing defense. This will push him into low-end RB2 status/FLEX territory in Week 6.
Should I Start Tony Pollard for Fantasy Football?
The final running back we will take a look at is Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans. Pollard was a high-volume RB2 last season and carries a similar value through the opening month of the 2025 campaign.
After falling short of the double-digit PPR mark in Weeks 1 and 2, Pollard has been able to hit that mark in three straight contests, in Weeks 3, 4, and 5. During this three-game stretch, Pollard has averaged 13.8 PPR points per game and has puncned in two scores. He has totaled just 8.7 yards per game on the ground but has seen 14.7 attempts per game.
In Week 5, the Titans welcomed back Tyjae Spears (ankle) to the lineup after he missed the first four contests with a high ankle sprain. While Spears logged only 25% of the team's snaps and saw just four rushing attempts, the coaching staff has noted that they hope to get him more involved as he progresses.
Despite this, Pollard should remain the clear lead back for the foreseeable future and in their Week 6 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have allowed the 14th-most PPR points to opposing RBs this season. In fact, it's Pollard's most favorable matchup on paper this season, as he has faced four defenses within the top-11 in terms of PPR points allowed to RBs this season.
While his production has not been overly impressive, Tennessee's lack of success on offense and tougher matchups have limited its upside. Expect Pollard to enjoy his most efficient outing of the season on Sunday, which will make him a safe RB2 play this weekend.
Tony Pollard runs it in for the @Titans TD!
TENvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/AK00fyBkNU
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 6 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 6. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jacory Croskey-Merritt, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 6 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard compared to others:
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