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Should I drop Jacory Croskey-Merritt for fantasy football Week 11? Is Jacory Croskey-Merritt a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
After an electric start to his NFL career for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the rookie has hit a rough patch over his last five outings. Since his breakout 150-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 5 against the Chargers, Croskey-Merritt has totaled just 196 yards on 65 touches.
Now it seems like the rookie seventh-rounder has lost his role as the lead back, with Chris Rodriguez Jr. drawing the start in Week 10 against the Lions. Rodriguez left the game early with a shoulder injury, so we will see his status for Week 11 in Madrid against the Dolphins.
Is there still reason for optimism with Croskey-Merrit? Or is it time for fantasy managers to drop him? Let's break down whether the rookie is still worth a spot on your bench.
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Should I Drop Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Fantasy Football?
In 10-team leagues or shallower, Croskey-Merritt can be dropped, as the replacement level at running back is higher with more viable options available on the waiver wire. In 12-team leagues, fantasy managers may want to hold on a little bit longer even though the outlook seems dim at the moment.
The difference in Croskey-Merritt's advanced stats from the first five games to the past five games is striking. In Weeks 1-5, he averaged 6.58 yards per carry (first out of 40 RBs with at least 40 carries), with an 11.6% explosive rush rate (second), and 3.49 yards after contact per attempt (third), per Fantasy Points Data Suite. Since Week 6, he has averaged just 3.02 yards per carry (34th out of 34 RBs), zero explosive runs (tied for lowest), and two yards after contact per attempt (21st).
Bill Croskey-Merritt keeps getting yards
WASvsLAC on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/j0gXwwNO6n
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
The rookie held firm as the primary early down back for Washington, with Rodriguez mixing in sparingly and Jeremy McNichols handling pass downs. His lack of receiving limited his paths for fantasy stardom, making him heavily dependent on the explosive runs, and once those big plays dried up, his production went into the tank. The rookie was hitting explosives at an unsustainable rate, and it's naturally regressed over the past five games. His true talent is likely somewhere in the middle.
Rodriguez looks like he will play in Week 11 against the Dolphins and is set for a key role moving forward for Washington. Croskey-Merritt isn't a must-hold for fantasy managers in 12-team leagues, but depending on their roster needs, he could be worth holding in the short term to get another look at how Washington's backfield shapes up.
Who Should I Pick Up for Fantasy Football?
If fantasy managers need more immediate production at running back, while the Arizona backfield has been a messy one, Emari Demercado looks to be emerging as the player to own, with Trey Benson (knee) still uncertain to return in Week 11. Demercado has recorded 18 carries for 143 yards and four catches (five targets) for 39 yards over the past two games. The 26-year-old has split snaps with Bam Knight, but he also suffered an ankle injury in Week 10 versus the Seahawks.
Emari Demercado breaks free for the big gain
AZvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/ucwONuRhuo
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
Demercado leads the league with 7.94 yards per carry in the past two weeks. Owned in just 21.9% of ESPN leagues, Demercado is a viable flex play in Week 11 versus the 49ers.
Sean Tucker is another running back who has earned more work of late and has streaming value for Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills, who have struggled to stop the run. In the past two games, Tucker has nearly matched Rachaad White in carries, with 21 to White's 23, and has outgained him 95 to 73. In addition, they each have three carries inside the 10 in that time. Bucky Irving was reportedly seen participating in Wednesday's walkthrough, so his status will be important to monitor as the week goes along. Tucker has flex value in a favorable matchup if Irving is ruled out again.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Chris Rodriguez Jr., Emari Demercado, Parker Washington, Alec Pierce, and Trey Benson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on players like Chris Rodriguez Jr., Emari Demercado, Parker Washington, Alec Pierce, Trey Benson. They are some of the most common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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 Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. 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.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Chris Rodriguez Jr., Emari Demercado, Parker Washington, Alec Pierce, Trey Benson:
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