Start Jeremiyah Love over Jacory Croskey-Merritt — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Love's ceiling beats Croskey-Merritt's script, but neither is a recommended start

Jeremiyah Love wins the forced choice because his explosive running and receiving profile gives him more ways to beat a difficult setup than Jacory Croskey-Merritt has. The gap is meaningful at running back, but Love is still a SIT: Arizona expects to share the workload with Tyler Allgeier (azcardinals.com 2026-09-08), even as he progresses from his ankle sprain (ESPN 2026-09-07). Croskey-Merritt gets the better team script and lead-back label, yet his limited passing-game role makes him dependent on rushing volume and game flow. Neither is a recommended start; Love simply owns the better ceiling, while his committee role is the real risk.

What flips it: A Love ankle setback before kickoff.

Sources: azcardinals.com · Sep 8, 2026 · ESPN · Sep 7, 2026

AI editor

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB41WSHvs PHI

7.37.88.3 Projected Points

Sit

Jeremiyah Love

RB17ARIvs LAC

11.012.814.7 Projected Points

Sit

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 by consensus and projection: 3% target share in 2025, Questionable on the latest report.

The favorable script is Croskey-Merritt's best counter, but his limited receiving role offers little PPR rescue if rushing volume slips.
His lead-back profile gives him a clearer workload path than a typical committee runner, if Washington stays competitive.

Why Jeremiyah Love

Sit

Rookie RB in a committee backfield. Explosive big-play back with breakaway speed and pass-game receiving upside.

Sit — RB17 consensus, projects RB16 this week: LAC is the 8th-toughest matchup vs RBs, 17.0 implied team total caps the ceiling.

Love's explosiveness creates a path to a ceiling game even in a committee, giving him more ways to pay off limited touches.
His receiving upside matters here: it can soften the damage if the Chargers matchup suppresses his rushing efficiency.

Latest on Love

Status

Jeremiyah Love is expected to be ready for the Chargers game Sunday after his preseason ankle sprain.

Even If Jeremiyah Love Is 'The Guy,' Likely Won't Have As Many Carries As You Think azcardinals.com · Sep 8, 2026

Role

Jeremiyah Love is expected to share the Cardinals' running back workload with Tyler Allgeier rather than handle every carry.

Even If Jeremiyah Love Is 'The Guy,' Likely Won't Have As Many Carries As You Think azcardinals.com · Sep 8, 2026

Status

Jeremiyah Love was moving around during Monday's walkthrough and progressing, with an official injury designation not required until Wednesday.

Cardinals optimistic rookie RB Love will be ready for opener ESPN · Sep 7, 2026

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VideoESPN · Aug 31, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Jacory Croskey-Merritt	Jeremiyah Love
Projected points	7.37.88.3	11.012.814.7
Consensus rank	RB41	RB17
Opponent vs position	PHI · 19 of 320-game sample	LAC · 8 of 320-game sample
Rushing Yards	17 of 32	9 of 32
Rushing TDs	19 of 32	12 of 32
Rushing Attempts	23 of 32	6 of 32
Receptions	9 of 32	6 of 32
Receiving Yards	26 of 32	7 of 32
Anytime TD	20 of 32	6 of 32
Target share	3%(2025)	—
Reception share	3%(2025)	—
Implied total · spread	20.5+5.5	17.0+11.5
Depth chart	RB1	RB1
Snap share	40%(2025)	—
Injury designation	Questionable	Questionable