Game day update: Tom Pelissero is now reporting that Montgomery WILL play tonight. There was a miscommunication with his source and he got it wrong. It’s okay Tom, we all make mistakes sometimes. Get Monty in your lineups if you need him tonight. Gibbs is still a start, but Montgomery’s presence could take away a few touches.
Correction: #Lions RB David Montgomery and LT Taylor Decker ARE playing tonight against the #Packers. CB Emmanuel Moseley is NOT playing.
There was a miscommunication, and I will just have to eat this one. I apologize for the error.— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 28, 2023
Game day update: Tom Pelissero is reporting Montgomery is not expected to play on Thursday in spite of optimism earlier this week. Jahmyr Gibbs will get the start in his place.
The Detroit Lions travel to Lambeau Field in Week 4 to face the Green Bay Packers and could get some significant offensive depth back. Running back David Montgomery is listed as questionable on the final injury report, but the Lions are optimistic he’ll be able to play.
Montgomery suffered a thigh injury in Week 2 and missed last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. He sat out all three practices that week, but this week was listed as limited for all three practices. They were all walkthroughs, so the “limited” designation was an estimation. However, head coach Dan Campbell told the media on Tuesday that he was trending the most positive and Campbell was “starting to feel pretty good about” his chances of playing on Thursday.
Betting and DFS implications for Week 4
Montgomery was the clear starter in his two games. In Week 1, he had 21 carries to Jahmyr Gibbs’ seven carries. In Week 2, he had 16 carries to seven for Gibbs. Last week in Montgomery’s absence, Gibbs had 17 carries, Craig Reynolds had four, and Zonovan Knight had three.
Gibbs is the better long-term option, but if Montgomery is active for Thursday’s game, expect a more even split of work. It might not be 50/50, but look for it to be closer to 60/40 than the broader split we saw previously. Both Gibbs and Montgomery are worth traditional fantasy consideration, but Gibbs makes more sense in DFS as the upside play.
If Montgomery is active, both the Lions and Packers should have their full backfields playing — with Aaron Jones expected to be active for Green Bay. The point total is installed at 46, but would more work from the ground games impact that one way or the other? I’d be more inclined to bet the Lions team over with a completely healthy backfield.