Ashton Jeanty vs Jacory Croskey-Merritt: Who Should You Start?
Two running backs who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Ashton Jeanty (Las Vegas Raiders) finished the 2025 season averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game in 17 games. Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Washington Commanders) came in at 8.0 PPG over 17 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Ashton Jeanty carries a 4.8-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Ashton Jeanty is the receiving back in this matchup, turning 55 targets into 346 yards, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt profiles as a more traditional rusher with 805 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. In PPR and half-PPR formats Ashton Jeanty carries the higher weekly floor. In standard leagues the gap tightens considerably.
Ashton Jeanty has his bye in Week 10, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt rests in Week 14. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
