Croskey-Merritt, Ekeler's Fantasy Impact Revealed After Commanders' Robinson Trade

The Washington Commanders' backfield is reportedly trending toward a committee following the trade of running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday.

During an appearance Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler broke down the potential workload split between rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and veteran Austin Ekeler:

"For Washington, this crystalizes their backfield. They really like the rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt when you talk to people over there about their offense. He comes up early and often in conversations. Austin Ekeler's your third-down back. They have some depth behind him that they really like. So, it's going to be a by-committee approach. They realized that Robinson wasn't in those plans so they made a quick move and got a sixth-round pick out of it."

Over his first three NFL seasons, Robinson started 37 of the 41 games he appeared in for the Commanders, and he was their primary running back on first and second down, as well as in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

With Robinson getting moved to the Niners, that role is now open in Washington's offense, and Croskey-Merritt is the top candidate to fill it.

A rookie seventh-round pick, Croskey-Merritt appeared in only one collegiate game last season at Arizona, but he rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns the previous year at New Mexico.

Also known as "Bill," Croskey-Merritt impressed throughout training camp, and he has the size to take on the early-down work for the Commanders at 5'11" and 208 pounds.

Ekeler was once among the top running backs in fantasy football, racking up at least 1,500 total yards in three of four seasons from 2019 to 2022 while with the Los Angeles Chargers. He also scored 20 touchdowns in 2021 and 18 in 2022.

After taking a step backward in terms of his production in 2023, Ekeler signed with the Commanders in free agency, and he played well last season in somewhat limited opportunities.

Starting six of the 12 games he played in, Ekeler rushed for 367 yards and four touchdowns, and he caught 35 passes for 366 yards.

That represented Ekeler's lowest reception total since his rookie year in 2017, but he has an established history as a pass-catcher, averaging 74.8 catches per season from 2019 to 2023.

Given Ekeler's age at 30, his durability is a concern, but if he remains healthy throughout the 2025 season, he will likely take on a sizable role as the main pass-catcher out of the backfield.

That means Ekeler should at least hold FLEX value in full point-per-reception leagues, and that is also true of Croskey-Merritt even if he isn't as involved in the passing game.

Per Yahoo, Croskey-Merritt has an average draft position of 119.5 and Ekeler of 127.7, making them 41st and 47th running backs off the board in fantasy currently.

The Commanders have an explosive offense led by the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year in quarterback Jayden Daniels, and there is plenty of value in rostering a running back who gets ample touches in that offense, particularly at their current ADP.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. could factor into the mix as well after rushing for 62 yards on six carries in the Commanders' second preseason game, and while that may make him worth a last-round flier in deep leagues, Croskey-Merritt and Ekeler are the players to target.