Start Jadarian Price over Jacory Croskey-Merritt — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Price's Bigger Role and Script Outweigh Croskey-Merritt's Long Shot

Price's path to volume is the separator here — Seattle's camp buzz points to him taking over lead-back duties, and a -3.5 spread with a 24-point implied total gives him the game script to cash that role in. Croskey-Merritt, by contrast, is stuck in a true committee with almost no receiving work, so even a plus matchup on paper can't turn into consistent touches. Both carry a Questionable tag, but that risk lands differently: for Price it threatens a bigger role, for Croskey-Merritt it threatens what's already a marginal one. The DvP numbers are noise given the zero-game sample on both sides — lean on role and script instead.

What flips it: A clean practice report confirming Price's workload holds while Croskey-Merritt's touches stay capped in the committee.

Sources: ESPN · Aug 31, 2026 · ESPN · Aug 28, 2026

AI editor

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB41WSHvs PHI

7.37.88.3 Projected Points

Sit

Jadarian Price

RB23SEAvs NE

12.012.813.6 Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium

Why Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sit

Lead back and volume runner. Decisive one-cut rusher with tackle-breaking contact balance; limited passing-game work.

Sit — RB41 consensus, projects RB42 this week: 3% target share in 2025, Questionable on the latest report.

Efficient on his workload so far, but 3% target share means almost zero receiving-game floor to fall back on.
Sits in a true committee — even a favorable matchup can't create volume that isn't there.

Why Jadarian Price

Toss-Up· medium

Rookie RB atop the depth chart. Explosive, home-run-speed runner with no prior NFL sample.

RB23 value at 13.6 projected with a favorable -3.5 script, but a Questionable tag and a top-10 run defense keep him from a clean start.

Emerging as Seattle's clear lead-back option, which is what actually drives fantasy points, not the matchup number.
A -3.5 script and 24-point implied total set up more competitive-game carries than Washington's plus-5.5 script.

The call

The projection is real: 13.6 PPR points and an RB23 consensus rank is flex-or-better territory, and Seattle's 24.0 implied total as a 3.5-point favorite is the game script you want for a lead back.
The matchup pushes back — New England grades 10 of 32 in DvP against running backs (32 = softest), so this is a defense that has been stingy, even if the 0-game sample carries 0.00 confidence.
The Questionable designation is the tiebreaker. He's the listed RB, but until he's cleared and confirmed as the primary early-down back — ESPN is still asking whether Seattle is ready to hand him the run game — he's a hold-your-breath start.
Tip it to start if he's active with no snap limit and the backfield is his; sit him if he's a game-time decision and you have a locked-in flex alternative.

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Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Jacory Croskey-Merritt	Jadarian Price
Projected points	7.37.88.3	12.012.813.6
Consensus rank	RB41	RB23
Opponent vs position	PHI · 19 of 320-game sample	NE · 10 of 320-game sample
Rushing Yards	17 of 32	5 of 32
Rushing TDs	19 of 32	4 of 32
Rushing Attempts	23 of 32	4 of 32
Receptions	9 of 32	26 of 32
Receiving Yards	26 of 32	17 of 32
Anytime TD	20 of 32	4 of 32
Target share	3%(2025)	—
Reception share	3%(2025)	—
Implied total · spread	20.5+5.5	24.0-3.5
Depth chart	RB1	RB1
Snap share	40%(2025)	—
Injury designation	Q	Questionable
Start/Sit record	—	0–0+1 toss-up