Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season is already here, and fantasy football managers are hitting the panic button, scrambling with lineup decisions as early-season workloads, roster changes, and those dreaded injury reports shake everything up. With depth charts shifting faster than traffic on I-5, figuring out which committee backs are suddenly stepping into primary volume roles is absolutely clutch for maximizing your weekly points. This week, everyone’s eyeing a fascinating comparison: New York Jets RB Braelon Allen versus Washington Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Both are ranked right around that RB2/FLEX sweet spot in the Week 4 Running Back Rankings, making this one of the most critical start ’em, sit ’em calls on the board.
Braelon Allen’s Opportunity Just Blew Up For New York
If you’ve been watching Braelon Allen, you know he’s a physical, downhill runner who’s shown flashes of impressive efficiency even with limited chances so far. Well, get ready, because his fantasy profile is expanding dramatically in Week 4. Why? Because Breece Hall is sidelined, and Allen is stepping right into that lead role in New York’s backfield. Yeah, Isaiah Davis will likely mix in for passing-down work and those two-minute packages, but Allen remains the absolute clear favorite for high-value touches against the Chicago Bears. He’s projected as the primary early-down hammer, the guy they’ll turn to at the goal line, which keeps his touch floor super high, even if Davis eats into some overall snaps. The Jets are probably gonna lean hard on their run game to set the tempo and stay on schedule in this matchup. Allen’s combination of clear lead-back status and primary red-zone duties gives him a rock-solid volume base and serious touchdown upside. He’s a focal point of New York’s offensive game plan, no doubt about it.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Hits a Ceiling Thanks to Austin Ekeler
Now, let’s talk about Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the Washington Commanders back who rushed against our very own Seahawks back on September 27th, 2026, at Northwest Stadium. Croskey-Merritt has emerged as an early-down option for Washington, maintaining a solid rushing workload and grabbing the majority of red-zone carries through the first month of the season. He’s been reliable for those early-down rushes and touchdown opportunities. The problem? His fantasy production almost exclusively relies on that early-down rushing efficiency and converting those scores, because he offers minimal involvement in the receiving game. And here’s the kicker, the move that changed everything for his weekly ceiling: the addition of veteran Austin Ekeler. Ekeler is stepping right into those passing-down situations and third-down work, which creates an immediate cap on Croskey-Merritt’s weekly upside. The volume he needs to hit big numbers just got a lot harder to come by.
Week 4 is shaping up to be a wild one for fantasy managers, especially with these two running backs. The choices you make could absolutely swing your matchup, so make sure you’re locked in for the action!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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