Tyjae Spears vs Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Who should you start in Week 7? This week's matchups and projections.
Who to start in Week 7
Start Tyjae Spears this week: Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on bye in Week 7.
Tyjae Spears gets CLE, the 27th-friendliest matchup a RB can draw this week, projecting 5.6 points.
This-week points are each player's projected per-game scoring rate adjusted for the matchup.
The season-long call
The model takes Tyjae Spears: a clear but modest edge of 11.0 points of value over replacement (-54.5 vs -65.6).
The room sees it the other way: drafters take Jacory Croskey-Merritt first (ADP 115.5 vs 129.8). If the model is right, Tyjae Spears is the value pick, since the later cost buys the better 2026 projection.
Health note: Jacory Croskey-Merritt carries an injury flag of IR (Groin), which is already reflected in his projection.
| Tyjae SpearsTEN | Jacory Croskey-MerrittWAS | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 7 opponent | CLE | Bye | |
| Projected Week 7 points | 5.6 | 0.0 | Spears +5.6 pts |
| Matchup rank (RB vs defense, of 28) | #27 | - | |
| Projected 2026 points (PPR) | 104.4 | 93.4 | Spears +11.0 pts |
| Points per game | 6.1 | 5.5 | |
| Value over replacement (VBD) | -54.5 | -65.6 | Spears +11.0 |
| Overall rank | #134 | #148 | Spears by 14 |
| Position rank | RB47 | RB49 | |
| Market ADP | 129.8 | 115.5 | Spears +14.3 cheaper |
| Typical round (12-team) | Rd 11 | Rd 10 | |
| Bye week | 9 | 7 | |
| Injury flag | None | IR |
Should I start Tyjae Spears or Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Week 7?
Start Tyjae Spears this week: Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on bye in Week 7.
Should I draft Tyjae Spears or Jacory Croskey-Merritt in 2026 fantasy football?
Tyjae Spears. He projects 104.4 fantasy points with -54.5 value over replacement, vs 93.4 points and -65.6 for Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB, PPR).