The Detroit Lions enter the 2023 season with a revamped backfield of two new faces, including one that is no stranger to the NFC North. After four seasons in Chicago, David Montgomery opted to stay in the division and join the Lions this offseason. While he has veteran experience in his back pocket, he’ll no doubt split carries with one of Detriot’s first-round draft picks this season. How confident should fantasy managers be in starting Montgomery come Week 1?
Fantasy Football analysis: Lions RB David Montgomery
In his final season with the Chicago Bears Montgomery totaled 201 carries for 801 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He also added 34 receptions for 316 yards and one receiving touchdown. By the end of the 2022 season, he finished as RB24 in PPR fantasy leagues.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
Sit. While Montgomery has often been regarded as an underrated running back, he’s never been truly impactful in the passing game. Through four seasons he’s averaged just 2.6 receptions per game with his highest volume coming in 2020 when he averaged 3.6 receptions per game. He also boasts a career average of just 20.7 receiving yards per game, which speaks to his tendency to be more impactful on the ground.
Whether in smaller or larger PPR leagues, Montgomery simply isn’t as valuable as a pass-catcher and should be started only out of necessity. If you have better pass catchers in your running back, feel free to consider them instead.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Start. While Montgomery may not be as impactful of a pass-catcher it doesn’t mean fantasy managers should disregard him in the bigger picture. When it comes to standard leagues, the new Lions running back should be considered as a flex or an RB2, if necessary. It was only three years ago that he finished as the RB4 in fantasy, and the year after that he was RB15 behind the likes of Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones.
Despite earning over 235 touches in each of his four seasons, the draw on him has been his lack of touchdowns. His best season came in 2020 when he totaled 10 touchdowns (eight on the ground, two receiving) which is a far cry from what fantasy players want in a tailback. If you’re in an eight to 10-team league you can probably find other starting contenders, but fantasy managers in 12 to 14-team leagues should at least consider Montgomery a flex option in Week 1.
Player(s) you would start ahead of David Montgomery
Dameon Pierce and JK Dobbins are more secure RB options for fantasy managers heading into Week 1. While they both play a similar ground-and-pound game as Montgomery, they each face lesser competition in the backfield compared to Montgomery splitting carries with Jahmyr Gibbs. Additionally, either of the aforementioned two has a more reputable track record of finding the end zone versus Montgomery.