Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Ekeler, Commanders RB Fantasy Outlook After Robinson Trade

Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a fantasy football sleeper no more.

Excitement has been building around the Washington Commanders' rookie running back as a possible mid- to late-round steal in fantasy football circles, but those hoping to have him on their team will likely have to draft him earlier following Friday's news.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Commanders traded Brian Robinson to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

Robinson led Washington in carries last season and was a solid fantasy option, so his departure immediately elevates the potential and workload for Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler. The former is now someone who should be rostered in all leagues, while the latter is a viable mid-round selection who could be seen as a low-end starter.

Here is how they fit into the team's overall offensive depth chart:

QB: Jayden Daniels/Marcus Mariota/Josh Johnson

RB: Austin Ekeler/Jacory Croskey-Merritt/Chris Rodriguez Jr./Jeremy McNichols

WR: Terry McLaurin/Chris Moore

WR: Noah Brown/Luke McCaffrey

WR: Deebo Samuel/Jaylin Lane

TE: Zach Ertz/John Bates

LT: Laremy Tunsil/Trent Scott

LG: Brandon Coleman/Chris Paul

C: Tyler Biadasz/Michael Deiter

RG: Sam Cosmi/Nick Allegretti

RT: Andrew Wylie/Josh Conerly Jr.

Ekeler is the more familiar name for fans and fantasy managers who have not been paying attention to preseason.

After all, he played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Chargers before joining Washington ahead of the 2024 campaign. There was also a time when he was one of the best running backs to have in fantasy football, especially in point-per-reception leagues because of his pass-catching ability.

Ekeler accounted for better than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2019, 2021 and 2022. He also led the league in rushing and receiving touchdowns combined in back-to-back years in 2021 (20) and 2022 (18) and was a surefire first-round pick for fantasy managers.

While the 30-year-old is no longer that dominant from a statistical standpoint, he still accounted for 733 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns last season on the Commanders as a change-of-pace back to Robinson.

With Robinson no longer in the picture following this trade, Washington will likely rely more on Ekeler than it did in 2024 when he tallied 77 carries and 35 receptions. He isn't going to lead the league in touchdowns again at this stage of his career, but it wouldn't be a shock if he reaches the 1,000-yard mark from scrimmage.

That upside alone makes him worthy of at least a mid-round pick.

But the true upside comes in the form of Croskey-Merritt, who could be more of an every-down back after the Commanders selected him with a seventh-round pick. The rookie turned heads during the team's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals by running for 46 yards and a score and figures to see plenty of playing time.

He played just one collegiate game last season because of eligibility issues, but he posted 1,262 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns during the 2023 campaign for New Mexico. 

Croskey-Merritt's ability to cut in the open field and run through arm tackles with power was on full display with the Lobos and in the preseason contest against the Bengals, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him tally double-digit carries every game in his rookie campaign.

Fantasy managers should use an element of caution and not draft him in the first couple of rounds since he still figures to be part of a committee approach with Ekeler and others, but he must be rostered in all formats following Friday's trade.