The Commanders’ receiving back missed last week due to a shoulder injury.
Washington has used a traditional two-man backfield to start the season, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt as the early-down back and White as the passing-down back. Kaytron Allen was the third back on the depth chart. Last week, in White’s absence, Washington brought back Austin Ekeler, the man who had White’s role in 2024 and early in 2025 before a season-ending injury. Washington also elevated Craig Reynolds from the practice squad. They both surpassed Allen on the depth chart, and Allen was subsequently released on Thursday. While Washington likely wanted Allen for the practice squad, the Miami Dolphins claimed him. This week, Washington was largely back to its two-man rotation. Ekeler only played six snaps. They all came in normal early-down situations in the second quarter. This is good news for Croskey-Merritt and White, as Ekeler looked good last week, and it seemed like he could turn this into more of a three-man rotation. Croskey-Merritt had a great day on the ground, gaining 11 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. However, Croskey-Merritt didn’t garner a target, and he needs at least a little bit of receiving volume to trust him in fantasy starting lineups.