Jacory Croskey-Merritt · Kenny Gainwell · 2026 week 8

Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Kenny Gainwell?

Wondering who you should start this week — Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Kenny Gainwell? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Jacory Croskey-MerrittJacory Croskey-Merritt projects 2.1 PPR points clear of Kenny Gainwell in week 8, drawing CIN — the 29th-ranked matchup for RBs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.

Player	Wk 8	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Jacory Croskey-Merritt START	vs CIN	8.9	29th · tough	8.8	137	IR
Kenny Gainwell	vs ATL	6.8	10th	6	75	Questionable

RBs vs CIN recently: Chris Rodriguez Jr. 9.5 pts (W4) · Ollie Gordon II 14.8 pts (W5) · Derrick Henry 4.9 pts (W7).

RBs vs ATL recently: Derrick Henry 20 pts (W5) · D'Andre Swift 19 pts (W6) · Christian McCaffrey 16 pts (W7).

🎓 The coach's read

Jacory Croskey-Merritt projects 2.1 points higher in PPR.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt faces CIN, 29th most generous to RBs.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is flagged OUT.
Kenny Gainwell faces ATL, 10th most generous to RBs.
Kenny Gainwell is flagged WATCH.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Jacory Croskey-Merritt carries the higher trade value — 137 against 75 (a 45% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets the most. Momentum: Jacory Croskey-Merritt -680 and Kenny Gainwell -125 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More RB decisions

Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Seth McGowan?Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Kaelon Black?Jacory Croskey-Merritt or Tyler Allgeier?Kenny Gainwell or Emmett Johnson?Kenny Gainwell or Mike Washington Jr.?Kenny Gainwell or Brian Robinson Jr.?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.