D'Andre Swift vs Jacory Croskey-Merritt: Who Should You Start?
D'Andre Swift and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. D'Andre Swift averaged 13.2 PPG across 16 games with the Chicago Bears, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt posted 8.0 PPG in 17 appearances for the Washington Commanders.
A 5.2-PPG gap gives D'Andre Swift the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. D'Andre Swift ran for 1087 yards and 9 touchdowns; Jacory Croskey-Merritt posted 805 and 8. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
D'Andre Swift has his bye in Week 7, 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.
