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Jacory Croskey-Merritt start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 1 of 2026. Should you start or sit Jacory Croskey-Merritt for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: RB3/FLEX
ANALYSIS: Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had an inconsistent rookie season. He enjoyed a hot start and looked to be on breakout watch, totaling 14.2 PPR points in his NFL debut. However, following his 29.0 PPR point performance in Week 5, the second-round rookie endured some massive growing pains.
While much of this was due to the absence of Jayden Daniels, Croskey-Merritt struggled to find footing. From Weeks 6 through 14, the rookie would average a low 4.0 PPR points per game while scoring zero touchdowns.
However, he began to show some life down the stretch, averaging 12.4 PPR points per game over his last four contests.
In the offseason, the Commanders opted not to address this option with a high draft pick and instead brought in veteran third-down back Rachaad White, suggesting Croskey-Merritt is slated to be the lead option in short yardage. While White is expected to see a bulk of the passing work, Croskey-Merritt faces little competition to be the lead option, especially near the goal line.
With a healthy Daniels under center, this Washington offense could gradually return to its 2024 form. While he has a tough matchup on paper against the Eagles in Week 1, Croskey-Merritt's projected workload proves him with solid FLEX value in Week 1.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2026 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 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jacory Croskey-Merritt. 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'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 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 Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jacory Croskey-Merritt compared to others:
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