Jacory Croskey-Merritt is everyone's preseason darling.
Well, except for on the Washington Commanders' official Week 1 RB depth chart.
The Commanders put that listing out on Tuesday afternoon, and JCM was listed fourth.
Ahead of him: Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez.
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That's not what was expected at all. Ekeler and JCM sat out the final preseason game while the other two played. That suggested Croskey-Merritt was in the lead for a part of the top committee for the Commanders.
Now don't panic. These depth charts aren't always that informative. They're sometimes just a nod to veteran status, or a way to not give away information to an opponent.
It still slightly raises the risk of JCM as a fantasy sleeper, at least until Week 1 reveals the Commanders' real plans on the field.
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Croskey-Merritt, known affectionately as Bill, seemed to win the Commanders over this preseason.
They even traded away RB1 Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, helping clear the path for Bill to get on the field.
That's still probably what's happening here.
But there's some uncertainty now. And football fans, especially those with fantasy teams, don't like uncertainty.
To see JCM thrive, you might just have to power through the nerves that come with this depth chart release. He can still be a special player.
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