RADIO
When is Jacory Croskey-Merritt coming back? Will Jacory Croskey-Merritt play again this season? Read about Jacory Croskey-Merritt's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) has been the clear lead RB for the Washington Commanders this season. He retained his job as the starter after a rocky first season that saw him perform very well at times and, at others, struggle.
This season, his efficiency has taken a huge hit. After logging 4.6 yards per carry his rookie year, he's managed under 3.6 per rush this season, which isn't anything to write home about. Efficiency that bad often leads to lead backs losing their jobs, even. A groin injury may make it even more difficult for him.
In the games he's played, though, he's averaged 13.4 rushing attempts, and no other RB on the team has more than six per game. So it's obvious who the RB1 is right now. But since Croskey-Merritt is injured right now -- when will he be able to return?
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Injury Update for Fantasy Football
"Bill", as he's known, was unfortunately placed on injured reserve due to his groin injury. He has a designation to return, so he'll be required to miss at least four games. The Commanders have their bye week soon, in Week 8.
That means JCM won't be eligible to return to play until Week 11. It's bad news for those who were counting on him in fantasy football. He's unlikely to miss the full season, at least.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt breaks free for a 33-yard TD run!
📺: FOX/FOX One https://t.co/9wfDhRQB9V
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 11, 2026
We'll have to wait and see what his workload is like when he comes back. There hasn't been another particularly effective rusher for Washington this season.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Fantasy Football Outlook
He averages under 8.5 PPR fantasy points per game, has abysmal efficiency, most of his runs go basically nowhere, and he's on an offense that's been inconsistent at best this season. It's hard to imagine he breaks out and becomes an RB1.
His biggest flaw is his lack of contact balance. He has a few explosive runs under his belt, but they tend to come with little or no contact when he has a free lane to pick up a ton of yards. He doesn't grind out tough yards like workhorse running backs that weigh nearly 210 pounds should be able to do.
Chris Rodriguez probably maintains his goal line role for the Commanders because Jacory Croskey-Merritt is not capable of running through linebackers. Doesn't have the strength or power to do so even with some speed built up. https://t.co/NoHxG9Jf2Q
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) November 13, 2025
The Commanders have tried their best to make Croskey-Merritt their every-down workhorse back, but it's worth questioning their personnel decisions at this point.
For fantasy football, we're looking at an RB3. There isn't a lot of reason to start a running back that doesn't even average double-digit PPR fantasy points when he plays. And he doesn't have the pass-catching upside to make up for his inefficiency on the ground.
72 YARDS 🫨
📺 #DALvsWAS Netflix https://t.co/HASpAgWaXD
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 25, 2025
Things go well when he can run in long scores untouched. They don't go so well when he has to actually break tackles at any point on the field. He has decent speed, but he needs open space to work in.
The Commanders coaching staff seems willing to give him nearly 20 carries in games he averages under two yards per carry, though, which keeps him on the borderline FLEX territory most weeks.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: J.K. Dobbins, Josh Jacobs, RJ Harvey. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? 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 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 7 for J.K. Dobbins, Josh Jacobs, RJ Harvey:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
