The Washington Commanders are playing, but many of their key offensive players will be available when they host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 on Christmas Day. However, a last-minute update could cost them running back Chris Rodriguez, Jr. We break down his latest injury status ahead of the game.
Chris Rodriguez injury update
game state: Chris Rodriguez did not play in Week 17 against the Cowboys. Apparently the condition was too severe and he would not play. Jakoli Kroski-Merritt will start, and it’s a solid matchup against a Cowboys defense that ranks 26th in fantasy points allowed to running backs.
Commanders posted on social media Thursday morning that they had placed Rodriguez on their injury report due to illness. They listed him as a problem person. He had not been on the injury report before this week. The news was released at 9:07 a.m. ET, less than four hours before kickoff.
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It’s unclear what causes the disease and therefore what it means for his availability. The team will declare inactivity at 11:30 a.m. ET. Even if he is active, there are concerns whether the disease will return during games. This isn’t the first time a player has been active but ended up playing little or having to leave the game.
Fantasy Football Analysis
If Rodriguez is active, you should probably plan on starting him. If you have a clearly better option, go with him, but if you’re going to start Rodriguez, you should stick with him.
If Rodriguez eventually becomes active, Jakoli Krosky-Merritt will move into the starting lineup and is worthy of starting as a low-end RB2 or RB3. If Rodriguez is active and you’re in a particularly deep league, Krosky-Merritt could provide a little upside if you want to roll the dice.
