We have a lot of fantasy football questions to answer about the Washington Commanders going into Week 10. Putting aside the wide receiver group and Jayden Daniels’ injury, let’s focus on the running backs on hand. How do we decide between Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr.? Let’s dig into some analysis.
Analysis
Week 9 against the Seahawks was full of fantasy implications for the Commanders. First and foremost, Jayden Daniels’ arm injury figures to sideline him for quite some time. In a game that was practically over by halftime, how Washington carried themselves between the two halves carried a lot of interest. And the two running backs, Croskey-Merritt and Rodriguez, ended up with the same amount of carries.
It was Rodriguez who ended up having the more productive night, taking his 12 carries for 65 yards and a score, while Bill only generated 38 yards on his carries. If you looked at the box score, you’d see an even split, and one back clearly being more productive. However, this can deceive you.
Rodriguez didn’t get his first touch until the Commanders were down 28-0 in the second quarter. Croskey-Merritt had five carries at that point, and things remained even until their last drive. With Washington squarely in garbage time, Rodriguez received five straight carries during Washington’s final drive as the clock wound down.
Rodriguez was still the more efficient back and continues to get the goal-to-go carries. However, assuming that this trend will result in an even backfield split may be a mistake.
The verdict
Rodriguez’s appeal took a significant hit with Jayden Daniels’ injury. Washington’s offense was already a disappointment; without Daniels, they’re trending towards a disaster. Marcus Mariota is a capable enough backup, but his wide receiver group is varying degrees of injured, and it may be difficult to move the ball consistently for the Commanders.
Bill Croskey-Merritt remains the go-to back between the 20-yard lines and on passing downs. If Washington’s offense fails to find the red zone consistently, Rodriguez becomes a true backup. Facing a stellar Detroit offense in Week 10, Croskey-Merritt should get more passing down snaps as negative game script is expected with the Lions favored by -9.5 points. Bill remains the back to own in DC for now.
