Rachaad White stands out in offseason program

Whether Croskey-Merritt can participate in the Commanders’ three-day mandatory minicamp, from June 16-18, is unknown. That said, Standig believes RB coach Anthony Lynn’s “positivity is notable.” Lynn thinks the team can take Croskey-Merritt’s game “to another level and get him potentially in the lead role.” To do this, Croskey-Merritt must take on more responsibility in the passing game this summer. Lynn adds that the young back’s “hands are very good, his movement skills are very good, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t win routes.” The staff is happy with its new-look backfield, but Standing writes that RBs Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford “are not high-volume playmaking threats,” like “Bill” is, and rookie RB Allen is still getting up to speed. Once Croskey-Merritt arrives, he must prove that he can meaningfully contribute as a receiver and as a pass protector. Doing so would unlock a fantasy-friendly role.

The two-down grinder will join a Washington backfield alongside Rachaad White and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Allen (5’11/216) was a four-star recruit with offers from every powerhouse in the country. After landing at Penn State, he immediately showed why he was so sought after coming out of high school. He ran for a pair of touchdowns against Auburn in his third career game and cleared 100 yards versus Central Michigan the next week. Allen would go on to lead the Nittany Lions in carries while competing with five-star freshman Nick Singleton for touches. That would be the case for all four of his seasons at Penn State. Allen’s outstanding career culminated in a 210-1,303-15 rushing line in 2025, making him Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. He does all the little things well as a runner, allowing plays to develop and following blockers like a seasoned pro. The biggest drawback is a lack of top-end speed or agility. Allen’s mark of 3.8 yards after contact per carry ranked just outside the top 50 backs in the country last year. The fact that he opted not to do athletic testing at the NFL Combine or his Pro Day suggests his numbers would have been underwhelming.

Jefferson caught 29-of-51 targets for 350 yards and one touchdown last season. Somehow, his 59.6 percent catch rate is only the third-worst of his career. Jefferson is likely due for a backup role, perhaps as a field stretcher. He should not be a target in fantasy drafts.

The signing reunites White with his college signal caller, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. The two played together from 2020-2021 at Arizona State. White logged 42 carries and eight receptions in 2020 before blossoming into a featured dual-threat player in 2021. That season, he rushed 182 times and caught 43 passes. The Commanders will likely add another running back or two via free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft, but White can currently be viewed as the favorite to handle passing down duties and will presumably compete with second-year RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt for the lead rushing role as well. This looks like a fantasy-friendly signing for White.

He believes that something will happen in “the near future” with White. The Seahawks depth chart at running back is barren with Kenneth Walker off to the Seahawks and Zach Charbonnet injured and unlikely to start the 2026 season on the roster. White could handle the workload early while Charbonnet recovers, if the Seahawks choose him from the pool of available running backs.

It’s the first sniff of free agency buzz we’ve gotten on White, which goes to show you how few teams view him as a top-line back. However, DiRocco believes White could fit in as a great screen-pass catcher and could share the workload with incumbent Bhayshul Tuten. Gainwell could also fit into that role. Overall this is a very encouraging report for Tuten’s fantasy value, as it doesn’t seem like the Jaguars want to put a major obstacle ahead of him on the depth chart.

White was the clear second option behind Bucky Irving on Saturday, with Irving rushing 26 times as Tampa Bay pounded the rock in rainy conditions. White ended up being the more efficient runner in the regular season for Tampa Bay, but that speaks more to Irving’s injuries and struggles when on the field than anything White did. White’s a free agent in 2026 and could be a sleeper to get a starting gig somewhere, but if the Saints beat the Falcons, he’ll be Irving’s backup in a playoff game next week.

Jefferson finishes the 2025 season with a 29/350/1 line — this is the standard, as Jefferson has finished between 209 yards and 369 yards in five of his six NFL seasons. The sacrificial X will be a free agent this offseason and tuns 30 in July. Zero fantasy upside, but he could find a real role again in 2026.

Jefferson hasn’t caught more than three passes in a game since Week 7 but still runs plenty of routes every week. With nothing left to play for in week 18, the Titans could give him the week off. His absence would free up a few extra looks for Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike.

White only saw four touches for 17 total yards on the day, but he most notably saw a sizeable chunk of backfield snaps against the Dolphins. He saw 32 snaps to Bucky Irving’s 36 snaps in a pass-favorable game script. Sean Tucker notably had just four snaps, rushing two times for eight yards and failing to catch his only target of the day. Irving is the lead back for the Bucs while White is the passing-down back and Tucker is the short-yardage, goal-line back. It continues to be a frustrating split for fantasy purposes and Irving is the best bet out of the backfield for Week 18 against the Panthers.