- Kyle Monangai is much from buried on the Bears’ depth chart: D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer should not hold the rookie RB19 from having an opportunity to climb the Bears’ operating again pecking order in 2025.
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt is being missed after a novel faculty profession: The seventh-rounder performed in only one sport in 2024 attributable to eligibility points, however he was beforehand certainly one of faculty soccer’s best operating backs.
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Estimated Studying Time: 4 minutes
There’s by no means time to take your foot off the pedal in dynasty fantasy soccer; it is a year-round course of. Scouting the Ashton Jeantys and Cam Wards of the world for fantasy potential is the straightforward half. Discovering the Kyren Williamses and Puka Nacuas tends to be a bit tougher.
So, we’re diving into rookie stashes place by place. These three operating backs might go off the board late or by no means in 2025 dynasty rookie drafts, however they’re price stashing attributable to their potential and workforce surroundings.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Croskey-Merritt sits as simply the RB20 in 2025 dynasty rookie drafts, buried in a category stuffed with potential workhorses. Whereas the Commanders made him the ultimate operating again chosen within the 2025 NFL Draft, his potential to ultimately lead the workforce’s backfield makes him a dynasty stash.
Brian Robinson Jr. is coming into a contract yr after ending 2024 because the PPR RB29, Austin Ekeler simply turned 30 years outdated and Jeremy McNichols has been with 10 groups since 2017. The door is large open for a brand new RB1 to emerge within the Commanders’ backfield, doubtlessly this season however definitely subsequent.
Croskey-Merritt performed in just one sport this previous season at Arizona attributable to an eligibility situation. Earlier than that, he dominated his competitors at New Mexico to the tune of the fourth-best PFF total grade (92.7) amongst FBS operating backs in 2023. That yr, he averaged 0.34 missed tackles per try (tied for twelfth in FBS) and racked up the fifth-most speeding scores (17).
Whereas Robinson is within the driver’s seat to start the 2025 marketing campaign, don’t depend out Croskey-Merritt to slowly climb Washington’s depth chart and switch right into a fantasy worth.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s Faculty PFF Grades
Trevor Etienne, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers prolonged operating again Chuba Hubbard on a four-year, 33.4 million deal merely seven months in the past, locking him in because the workforce’s starter for the foreseeable future. Lengthy-term contracts for breakout operating backs are removed from foolproof, although.
Carolina’s entrance workplace has a brand new chief for the reason that workforce signed Miles Sanders, who additionally was recent off a profession yr, to a four-year, $25.4 million contract in 2023 earlier than releasing him this previous offseason, nevertheless it’s a reminder — one which maybe hits too near house — that backfields are risky.
As famous by PFF lead fantasy analyst Nathan Jahnke, Etienne brings the same skillset to the operating backs forward of him on the Panthers’ depth chart (Rico Dowdle and Hubbard), giving him a stellar alternative to overhaul a minimum of Dowdle. He has third-down potential after hauling in 32 of a potential 33 passes in 2024 at Georgia, and his run-game promise is obvious in his 3.9 yards after contact per carry over the previous three seasons — the sixth-best price amongst 2025 draft-eligible Energy 5 operating backs.
If not in 2025, Etienne is poised to climb the Panthers’ operating again depth chart in 2026.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
A lot was fabricated from the Bears’ want for operating again assist this offseason, and so they responded meekly by re-signing Travis Homer and drafting Monangai within the seventh spherical. Neither transfer was notably world-changing on paper for Chicago’s backfield, which D’Andre Swift leads for now. However don’t let Monangai’s draft slot idiot you into dynasty passivity.
Monangai has comparable potential to Kansas Metropolis Chiefs RB1 Isiah Pacheco, additionally a seventh-round select of Rutgers, to take over his workforce’s backfield briefly order. Swift is coming off a PPR RB19 season during which he was the one NFL operating again to see greater than 230 carries and never prime 1,000 speeding yards. He averaged greater than 5.0 yards per carry in solely 4 outings and went the ultimate seven video games of the 2024 season and not using a 15-point fantasy efficiency.
D’Andre Swift’s 2024 PFF Grades and Dashing Statistics
In the meantime, Monangai’s 139 compelled missed tackles over the previous two seasons have been the eighth most amongst FBS operating backs, and he didn’t fumble as soon as throughout 4 seasons of motion with the Scarlet Knights.
Roschon Johnson might get the primary crack at surpassing Swift for the Bears’ lead function, however Monangai should not be buried to the purpose the place he doesn’t get some touches to show his worth as a rookie and past.
