2026 Week 6 Fantasy Football: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Ruled Out vs. 49ers

Jacory Croskey-Merritt is out for Monday night's game against the 49ers, according to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports). Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the ruling on Saturday. Croskey-Merritt has been dealing with a groin injury that kept him out of practice all week — an aggravation of a groin issue that also cost him time this summer.

The situation behind him is messy. Washington is sorting through a backfield that has multiple players hurt, and the fantasy implications ripple across several names. The Commanders may also activate Jeremy McNichols from injured reserve, per the same report, which adds another layer of uncertainty to who actually carries the ball Monday night.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

He's out — full stop. If you were starting him this week, you need a replacement now. The source story identifies him as Washington's top running back, so this is a significant absence, not a committee-back scratch. Monitor his status heading into Week 7, but there's no timetable given in the report.

Rachaad White

White is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury but has been practicing, per ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports). With Croskey-Merritt out, White is the most obvious beneficiary if he suits up — he would step into the lead role by default. Start him if he's active, but the questionable tag is real enough that you should have a contingency ready before Monday's kickoff.

Austin Ekeler

Ekeler is also questionable (chest injury) but has been practicing. He's the other piece of the backfield puzzle here. If both White and Ekeler play, they likely split work and neither is as appealing as a clear-cut starter. If White is out and Ekeler plays, Ekeler becomes the priority add. Watch the final injury report — the source notes Washington will release it later Saturday.

Marcus Mariota

Mariota is listed as doubtful with a knee injury and the source story confirms he will miss the game. For fantasy purposes, Mariota's absence affects the value of Washington's pass catchers — whoever starts at QB instead will need to be evaluated once that's confirmed. The source story does not name a backup, so don't guess at that depth chart.

Bottom line: this is a wait-and-see situation until Washington's full injury report drops Saturday. White is the priority pickup if he's active — but with Ekeler, McNichols, and an unknown QB all in the mix, managing expectations on any Commanders offensive player Monday night is smart.