Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Luther Burden III: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Burden’s established receiving role gives him the sturdier path to points

Start Luther Burden III over Jacory Croskey-Merritt, though both remain viable starters. Burden’s WR2 role, manufactured touches and verified five-catch usage make his workload more dependable, while Croskey-Merritt’s lead-back value is more tied to rushing efficiency and a touchdown. CBS Sports 2026-09-14 confirms Burden out-targeted Rome Odunze, but the risk is that his limited sample and secondary receiver role leave him vulnerable to a quieter passing script.

What flips it: Croskey-Merritt gaining passing-down work before kickoff.

Sources: CBS Sports · Sep 14, 2026

AI editor

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB41WSHvs DAL

Projected Points

Start
Luther Burden III

Luther Burden III

WR27CHIvs MIN

Projected Points

Start· medium

Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 50.5
-113 / -113
Rushing Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+105
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Luther Burden III’s market

REC
O/U 4.5
+117 / -149
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 50.5
-109 / -115
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+185
Anytime Touchdown Props →
WSH@
DALSun, Sep 20, 4:25 PM ETView the game →
MIN@
CHISun, Sep 20, 1:00 PM ETView the game →

Why Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Start

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

Start — RB41 consensus, projects RB31 this week: 3% target share, 10.2 PPR projected vs DAL.

  • Croskey-Merritt’s goal-line rushing role can beat his modest passing-game involvement with one scoring conversion.
  • Washington’s lead-back workload gives him a cleaner path if the game stays competitive.

Latest on Croskey-Merritt

Oweh (calf) among 4 Commanders players cleared to play vs. Eagles

The Commanders have cleared Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Daron Payne to play in Sunday's season opener against the Eagles.

ESPN · Sep 11, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Luther Burden III

Start· medium

WR2 and outside starter opposite Rome Odunze. Explosive yards-after-catch threat with manufactured-touch usage.

WR27 with a 19% target share and the 29th-ranked DvP matchup — Burden's 5-of-5, 63-yard Week 1 says the role is real.

  • Burden’s manufactured-touch role protects him from needing a deep catch to matter.
  • His target-earning ability already appears to be reshaping Chicago’s pecking order; CBS Sports 2026-09-14.

The call

  • Minnesota grades 29 of 32 in defense-vs-WR composite, though it's a one-game sample — the softness is a tiebreaker, not the whole case.
  • Role is the real driver: 73% snap share and a 19% target share as the WR-2, and he out-targeted Rome Odunze in Week 1 (5 catches on 5 targets, 63 yards).
  • Chicago is favored by 3.5 with a 24.5 implied total — enough scoring environment to support a full route tree without a run-heavy blowout script.
  • Risk is the thin body of work: one game of usage data, and Odunze can reclaim volume any week, which caps this at a flex-level start rather than a lock.

Latest on Burden

Role

Burden caught 5 of 5 targets for 63 yards in the Week 1 win, out-targeting Rome Odunze as the Bears' passing game leaned on him and Kalif Raymond over Odunze.

CBS Sports · Sep 14, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricJacory Croskey-MerrittLuther Burden III
Projected points
Consensus rankRB41WR27
Opponent vs positionDAL · 17 of 321-game sampleMIN · 29 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards22 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts21 of 32—
Receptions12 of 3231 of 32
Receiving Yards11 of 3232 of 32
Anytime TD22 of 3225 of 32
Receiving TDs—25 of 32
Targets—32 of 32
Target share3%19%
Reception share6%24%
Implied total · spread23.5+4.524.5-3.5
Depth chartRB1WR2
Snap share49%73%

Recent form

Jacory Croskey-Merritt — last 1 week

Week 1vs PHI

Luther Burden III — last 1 week

Week 1vs CAR

Signal breakdown

  • 10.2 vs 12.5 projected PPR pointsLuther Burden III +
  • Rank 41 vs 27Luther Burden III +
  • Opponent DvP rank 17 vs 29 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 23.5 vs 24.5 team pointsLuther Burden III +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 49% vs 73% snap shareLuther Burden III +

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