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The Chicago Bears have an interesting running back situation heading into the 2022 season and that could present a conundrum for potential fantasy managers heading into their respective drafts.
Occupying the Bears backfield will be fourth-year veteran David Montgomery, who has established himself as a top-20 back in fantasy, and second-year upstart Khalil Herbert, who the team has been raving about during training camp. The tandem should prove to be an effective 1-2 punch but there’s a question of who fantasy managers should pick between the two. We’ll go over their production and offer up our advice.
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
Montgomery was one of the lone bright spots of the Bears’ offense last season and was a consistent presence even as the rest of the offense struggled. Through 13 games, he took 225 carries for 849 yards (3.8 ypc) and seven touchdowns. Had he not missed four games early in the campaign, he could’ve easily achieved his second-straight 1,000-yard season. He finished the year as the 19th ranked fantasy running back in PPR formats and is currently RB17 in average draft position this year.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
As a rookie last year, Herbert was used sporadically but really got to shine during Montgomery’s aforementioned absence. He ultimately finished the season with 103 carries for 433 yards (4.2 ypc) and two touchdowns. The second-year back has been hyped up by both the coaching staff and Bears media so far in training camp and could be in line for a breakout season. He is currently RB57 in ADP.
Fantasy football verdict
While these two will split carries, Montgomery has a higher ceiling at this point and could potentially break into the top-15 running backs should he stay healthy for the entire season. Fantasy managers should definitely prioritize him over Herbert but not sleep on the second-year tailback.
Again, if you believe what’s coming out of Halas Hall during the preseason, Herbert will play a bigger role in the offense. That will set him up to be a perfect handcuff for Montgomery and you’d be getting a lot of value if you also drafted him in later rounds.