Jacory Croskey-Merritt or T.J. Hockenson: Who Should You Start?

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

Start Hockenson — the consensus rank and snap share edges are too wide to ignore.

T.J. Hockenson is the higher consensus play (TE18 to RB41) and plays a 66% snap share to Croskey-Merritt's 49%. Croskey-Merritt's edge is the game script, 23.5 implied points to 21.0. The gap is comfortable.

In standard scoring this is a coin flip.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB41WSHvs DAL

Projected Points

Start
T.J. Hockenson

T.J. Hockenson

TE18MINvs CHI

Projected Points

Start

Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 56.5
-114 / -110
Rushing Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+125
Anytime Touchdown Props →

T.J. Hockenson’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+340
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.

  • DAL ranks 17 of 32 against RBs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 23.5 team points as 4.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed RB on the latest depth chart with a 49% snap share.

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 T.J. Hockenson

Start

TE1 and primary middle-of-field target. Route-savvy seam threat with high-volume usage when healthy.

Start — TE18 consensus, projects TE14 this week: 22% target share, 10.1 PPR projected vs CHI.

  • CHI ranks 13 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 21.0 team points as 3.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 66% snap share.

Latest on Hockenson

Role

Hockenson played 43 offensive snaps in the Vikings' Week 1 tight end rotation, behind Josh Oliver's 42 snaps, with the pairing described as effective.

Yahoo Sports · Sep 14, 2026

Head-to-head stats

MetricJacory Croskey-MerrittT.J. Hockenson
Projected points
Consensus rankRB41TE18
Opponent vs positionDAL · 17 of 321-game sampleCHI · 13 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards22 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts20 of 32—
Receptions12 of 3218 of 32
Receiving Yards11 of 3220 of 32
Anytime TD22 of 321 of 32
Receiving TDs—1 of 32
Targets—24 of 32
Target share3%22%
Reception share6%27%
Implied total · spread23.5+4.521.0+3.5
Depth chartRB1TE1
Snap share49%66%
Start/Sit record—1–0

Recent form

Jacory Croskey-Merritt — last 1 week

Week 1vs PHI

T.J. Hockenson — last 1 week

Week 1vs GB

Signal breakdown

  • 10.2 vs 10.1 projected PPR pointsJacory Croskey-Merritt +
  • Rank 41 vs 18T.J. Hockenson +
  • Opponent DvP rank 17 vs 13 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 23.5 vs 21.0 team pointsJacory Croskey-Merritt +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 49% vs 66% snap shareT.J. Hockenson +

Compare different players

Week 2224 players
Player A
vs
Player B

Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.

More Croskey-Merritt comparisons

More Hockenson comparisons

This week’s toughest calls

Start/Sit Board•Weekly Rankings•Streamers•Sleepers & Busts•Waiver Wire•My Team•MLB NRFI Board•Free Tools•NFL Props•NFL Games

Get a Start/Sit call on your whole roster →

Save your team once and see a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up verdict on every player, every week — with the matchup, usage and game-script evidence behind each call.

Add to My Team — free

Or browse this week’s NFL games or NFL player props.