Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s Explosive Season: Stats, Highlights & What’s Next for Alabama’s Breakout RB

Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s NFL debut could not have been scripted better for the Washington Commanders—or for fantasy-football managers scrambling for early waiver-wire gold. The seventh-round rookie needed only ten carries to rack up 82 yards and a six-yard touchdown that put Washington two scores clear of the New York Giants in Week 1. He did it with trademark burst, bouncing outside for a 42-yard back-breaker and igniting “Bill! Bill!” chants inside Northwest Stadium. That instant impact has vaulted Croskey-Merritt from fourth on the depth chart to the center of Thursday Night Football storylines as the Commanders head to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury praised the rookie’s vision in zone concepts this week, noting that the staff is “comfortable giving him a larger slice of the script” in a backfield that already features veteran Austin Ekeler. Expect Croskey-Merritt to see high-leverage touches near the goal line after converting his only red-zone carry into six points. For fantasy players, the key metric is yards after contact: Croskey-Merritt averaged an eye-popping 4.1 YAC per attempt in his first outing, tied for second among running backs with at least five carries, according to Next Gen Stats. Green Bay surrendered 5.0 yards per rush to Chicago in Week 1, setting up a mouth-watering matchup for managers hunting a FLEX play. Off the field, the Montgomery, Alabama, native is just as electrifying. He admitted he “forgot the ball again” while celebrating his milestone score, only for wide-out Terry McLaurin to retrieve the keepsake. The rookie is still work-shopping a signature dance, telling reporters he wants an end-zone move that “lets me be me and have fun”. Croskey-Merritt’s rapid rise traces back to a nomadic college career—Alabama State, New Mexico and Arizona—that forged his tough, one-cut running style. Scouts dinged him for straight-line speed at the NFL Combine, but his 207-pound frame and low center of gravity are translating into broken tackles on Sundays. Now, with national prime-time exposure against a Packers defense missing All-Pro linebacker Quay Walker (hamstring), the rookie has a chance to cement himself as Washington’s thunder to Ekeler’s lightning. Search interest for “Jacory Croskey-Merritt” has soared 1,300 percent week-over-week, and for good reason: a new fantasy darling, a compelling underdog narrative and a marquee matchup under the lights. If Thursday goes anything like last Sunday, the league—and Google—will be searching his name even more by Friday morning.