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Is Brian Robinson still the RB1, and should you draft Jacory Croskey-Merritt for fantasy football in 2025? Will Brian Robinson will be traded from the Commanders?
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. has been the clear starting running back for his team for three seasons now. That's great, right? Well, not really. He's put up mediocre production in his time there, and while he's had some nice fantasy football weeks, he's not been a consistent force in the run game.
He's relatively unathletic. Though he ran a 4.53-second 40-yard-dash, he's not thrived due to raw athleticism. Instead, he's handled a large workload as a back, having carried the ball 570 times in three seasons. Yet he's averaged just 4.1 yards per carry and averaged only five rushing touchdowns per season.
He also doesn't bring a lot of juice to the passing game. He averages under 22 receptions per season. You can blame Washington for not investing meaningfully in the RB position in recent years, but you couldn't blame them for wanting to move on from Robinson. So will Robinson be traded, and should you draft rookie back Jacory Croskey-Merritt as a result? Let's dive in!
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Will Brian Robinson Jr. Be Traded?
It certainly seems like Washington wants to trade Robinson, but I'm still not sure it will happen. While I do buy into the idea that the team wants to trade him, it's hard to believe any team particularly wants to give up any decent draft capital for him. He's approaching the end of his rookie contract, and a team trading for him might only have him for one season before they're pressured to give him a new deal. Robinson may even get cut if Washington can't trade him.
Given the huge influx of running back talent in this year's draft, which featured the deepest class at the position in years according to many fantasy analysts, teams, in general, are much more flush with cheap RB talent. So it doesn't make much sense to give up capital for a mediocre running back.
Amid speculation about his future with the #Commanders, RB Brian Robinson Jr. will not play tonight against the #Bengals, sources say. It’s a mutual decision between Robinson and the team, as a trade before the cut to the 53-man roster remains a possibility. pic.twitter.com/jFCtzGbXob
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 18, 2025
It's likely that many running backs from this year's class can step in and immediately be more explosive, more dynamic, and just plainly better than Robinson. Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, RJ Harvey, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, and many more backs were regarded as highly talented.
Is Brian Robinson Still the RB1 for Commanders?
It doesn't seem like Brian Robinson is the starting running back anymore. He's inactive for the Monday night preseason game versus the Bengals, and the team is actively trying to trade him.
Robinson has failed to improve markedly through his three years in the league. Though he's slightly increased his rushing averages -- 3.9 yards per carry in his rookie season, 4.1 YPC in 2023, and 4.3 YPC in 2024 -- he's simply not a difference-maker. And teams that don't have difference-makers are usually keen to give new blood more work.
How did we get here, Brian Robinson edition:
1) Robinson was the previous regime's pick.
2) He's not an ideal fit in Kingsbury scheme.
3) WSH wants more speed, explosiveness at RB.
4) JCM's been excellent. They're enamored.
5) They like their depth: Ekeler, JCM, C-Rod,… pic.twitter.com/oT5fwXLbcS— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) August 18, 2025
New coaching and management staffs also often want to replace players taken under previous regimes with "their guys" which also makes sense. You can't start an NFL roster from scratch, and new regimes have to deal with players drafted in previous years that don't fit their vision for an offense or defense.
Paulsen brings up most of the valid points, including that they have plenty of depth at the position that, with more volume, wouldn't be a massive step down from B-Rob's production. So the Commanders are definitely trying to trade away their starting running back, and that's not a surprise. It doesn't seem like he's the Commanders' RB1 anymore, as rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt is rapidly ascending the depth chart.
Should I Draft Jacory Croskey-Merritt for Fantasy Football?
There are generally a pack of players in the middle and later rounds of redraft leagues that are absolutely worth taking a dart throw on. And it seems that Jacory Croskey-Merritt is one of them, a talented rookie that is quickly ascending for the Commanders, and showing fantasy upside in a top offense.
While veterans obviously have more experience, and teams are motivated to take that into considering when determining depth chart orders and their subsequent volume assignments for their players, it's also true that teams understand much better the skill that veteran players possess.
We already know that Commanders RB Austin Ekeler is old -- in running back years -- and hasn't looked anything like his old productive self. In addition, the other RBs on Washington's roster aren't particularly explosive, and haven't shown anything other than their capabilities to be solid backups.
Draft Jacory Croskey-Merritt NOW, before his ADP skyrockets 📈 pic.twitter.com/DpxmRAHtZf
— PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) August 18, 2025
It just happens that Croskey-Merritt has been getting increasing levels of hype in recent weeks. He looks faster, more elusive, and similarly powerful to Robinson in his preseason touches, even if it's just the preseason. It seems more likely that JCM, as we can call him, could get the starting job, even if Robinson somehow remains on the team.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 24 rushing yards in week 1…
22 of them came after contact. Get this man some blocking and he’ll be your fantasy draft gem 💯 pic.twitter.com/kIWWWJc9Vm
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) August 17, 2025
As always, it's important to temper your expectations. I attached film of the rookie's preseason touches above. JCM was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It's possible he could have been taken earlier, of course, but he hardly played in his senior season due to eligibility issues with the NCAA.
In addition, he played for five full seasons in college, only breaking out as a fifth-year senior, at the age of 22, at the University of New Mexico, a team not exactly known for the quality of defenses it faces. It's important to refrain from wish-casting as much as possible.
The real value here is that JCM could get a prominent role in his team's offense. That is, of course, worth throwing a dart at in the middle and late rounds in redraft leagues -- but it might not be wise to invest a premium pick in him in dynasty drafts. Running backs tend to have short shelf lives in the NFL.
Oh you're just now hearing about Jacory Croskey-Merritt? Casual. I've been drafting him all the way since last week 📈😤 pic.twitter.com/jK4iPCKopi
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 17, 2025
His ADP is, of course, skyrocketing in dynasty leagues as more eyes get set on him. If you're still able to get him as a value in rookie drafts, he could be a nice pick. The problem could come with holding on to him for too long, though. It's so hard to project how players will do with such questionable production in college.
I like his film. He clearly has more burst, is more explosive, and is more elusive than Robinson. I think he could be a steal for fantasy football managers, and is an easy target in the mid-to-late rounds in redraft leagues.
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