Hot Take #1
Bill Takes the Next Step
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, or Bill, has had an up-and-down 4-week career in the NFL to this point. From a 7th-round draft pick in the NFL, who had limited hope. He was then the most hyped rookie running back, not drafted in the first three rounds in the preseason, to having a limited role in the first two weeks of the season. Then, starting running back for the Washington Commanders, Austin Ekeler, goes out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. This opened up the door for Bill to take off, but between Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols, his workload has been limited. We all know this already, but to show how much of a rollercoaster it has been for Bill, it has only been four weeks.
Bill’s highest finish is 10th, and that was in week one. He was also an RB2 in week three, but in those two weeks, he scored a touchdown. It is important because there is a large disparity of weeks when he falls in the endzone and when he does not. Bill has been efficient, and I do think that would continue with a stronger workload. It is frustrating because when we have seen him, it has been successful. He led the Commanders last Sunday in touches, but it was a low number with nine. He tied the snap rate of Chris Rodriguez. I do think at some point the worm will turn here, and in week five against the Los Angeles Chargers could be the week.
The Commanders’ offense is going to improve when star quarterback Jayden Daniels comes back. They have been without him for two weeks now, and the running game has suffered in his absence. I do believe that the opportunity share will increase too. Like I said, the running back has been stagnant and inefficient with the other two, aside from two long runs from Chris Rodriguez.
The Commanders need to win this game against the Chargers. When teams need to win games like this, they play their best players, and I am excited to see what Jacory Croskey-Merritt looks like in a largely full-time role.
Hot Take #2
RJ Harvey is Here
It has been a few weeks since I talked about RJ Harvey in any of my articles. Sadly, it has not been the start we all wanted for the stud running back out of Virginia. Harvey has dominated, but not in our lineups quite yet, but he is coming off a Monday Night Football Matchup, albeit against the lowly Cinncinati Bengals, where he smashed. He and J.K. Dobbins both were successful and did not even play the majority of snaps (41%), but this was the most to this point within their careers/season. I understand that this game finished with a 25-point gap in the score and was definitely a blowout, but it is encouraging to see.
Harvey has the opportunity to become the RB1 within this offense. Heading into the year, we did not know it would be this difficult for him to take the job, but there is an avenue for him to succeed. J.K. Dobbins is playing in his 6th season in the NFL, and has played just over 40 games. This is way less than even half the potential games he could play. I am not preying on a Dobbins injury, but it is likely to happen. The talent of Harvey is undeniable.
Harvey on Monday night was 14 for 58 yards with four receptions for forty yards and a score. This is better than anything he has done combined all year. Harvey will have a tough matchup against the indomitable defense that is the Philadelphia Eagles. My prediction is that Dobbins will get bottled up, and the Denver Broncos‘ Head Coach will need to have an answer. Harvey could be that answer we’ve all been hoping for this season.
Hot Take #3
Wan’Dale Robinson and Jaxson Dart Establish a Top 5 Connection in the NFL
The New York Giants have HOPE! Jaxson Dart looked like a player that Brian Daboll can mold into someone who could be successful. I know that Daniel Jones had a year working in New York, but this may be the first real opportunity for the Giants since Eli Manning retired. I believe in this combination, Daboll never drafted Daniel Jones or had the opportunity to mold a quarterback whatsoever. This is his opportunity; his job is firmly on the line. So if you’re a Giants fan, this is what you should look out for.
Dart never looked as though he was Eli Manning or even Russell Wilson in his passing game on Sunday, but he had that ‘IT’ factor about him that was extremely exciting. He gave the Giants’ defense time to breathe, which was extremely useful for them as they could tee off on the Chargers’ depleted offensive line. The Giants as a whole looked completely different on Sunday vs. the Chargers. Now, they did lose probably their best player overall in Malik Nabers, but that is where this NFL Week 5 Hot Take comes into play.
Dart finished with a final stat line of 13/20 with 111 passing yards and a passing TD. Add on to that 10 rushing attempts for 54 yards and a TD. This is encouraging, and the QB Room from hell last season produced two top-10 target getters in the NFL, Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson. Nabers is now gone, and Robinson is going to get fed. He is a short-yardage type of receiver as well, which is great for the young QB. He may average 10-12 targets a game. For fantasy, this is incredible. Other WRs like Darius Slayton will get work as well, but Robinson has been a high target earner throughout the last two seasons. The matchup against the New Orleans Saints is one that I am extremely excited for. They are not the worst team of all time, but they are closer to that than a good team in the league this season.
Wan’Dale Robinson and Jaxson Dart will establish a good connection this weekend that will last the rest of the season. I think that after this week, you could rank Wan’Dale Robinson inside the top 24 of wide receivers. It is a hot take, but it’s going to happen in week five of 2025.
