The Green Bay Packers kicked off Week 2 with a 27-18 home win over the Washington Commanders.
From a fantasy football perspective, this game wasn’t much to write home about, with only a few performers worth mentioning, most notably Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (six catches, 124 yards, one touchdown).
This was also a tough day for some, including Washington running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Green Bay wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round draft pick out of Arizona in April, emerged as a fantasy sleeper this offseason after receiving a ton of praise. That only heightened after the Commanders traded Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, opening the door for Croskey-Merritt to get more touches in a backfield that also notably includes Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols.
Week 1 featured an encouraging start, as Croskey-Merritt rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a 21-6 win over the New York Giants. He certainly showcased his talents during training camp and preseason, and that carried over against New York.
Week 2 did not feature that same success, as Croskey-Merritt rushed for just 17 yards on four carries. The Packers stonewalled the Commanders’ running game, holding Washington to just 51 yards on 19 carries.
Unfortunately, and sadly, running back Austin Ekeler suffered a non-contact injury to his right Achilles and had to be carted off the field in the fourth quarter.
Hopefully he returns to full health ASAP as the versatile dual threat, who has 9,053 total yards and 73 lifetime touchdowns to his name, potentially begins a long rehab road.
For Washington, that would likely mean more work for Croskey-Merritt, with McNichols getting work and perhaps Chris Rodriguez being activated for games as well.
In Week 2, though, fans were flummoxed with coaches’ usage of Croskey-Merritt.
Of course, this was a rough day for the entire Washington offense, which was out-gained 404-230.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ offense cruised, with the team having great success through the air and on the ground. It perhaps foreshadows an amazing year ahead for Green Bay, which led off the season with an emphatic 27-13 home win over the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
From a fantasy outlook, the production was concentrated on the aforementioned Kraft, running back Josh Jacobs (84 rushing yards, one touchdown) and quarterback Jordan Love (292 passing yards, two scores).
However, some fans and analysts might be wondering why wide receiver Matthew Golden, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, wasn’t featured more. He received only two targets (resulting in no catches). However, both of those targets could have led to touchdowns.
Golden did get two carries for 15 yards, but that was all for his stat line.
Overall, it’s been a slow start for Golden, because he simply hasn’t gotten the chances. He began his career with just two targets against the Lions, resulting in two catches for 16 yards.
Simply put, Golden looks somewhat buried in this offense.
Of course, both Croskey-Merritt and Golden have plenty of time to get going.
As for what’s next, Croskey-Merritt and the 1-1 Commanders will host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 21. Golden and the 2-0 Packers will visit the Cleveland Browns on the same day.
