The Lions are trading RB David Montgomery to the Texans. According to NFL Network, Houston's sending fourth-round 2026 pick, a seventh-rounder in 2027, and OL Juice Scruggs to Detroit. Montgomery spent the past three years with the Lions after signing as a free agent. He remains under contract through 2027.
Montgomery arrives with cap hits of $8.37 million and $10.2 million the next two years. So he's pretty clearly taking over the backfield lead.
Here's how Montgomery ranked last year among 51 RBs with 90+ carries:
He beat Woody Marks in each of those categories.
Montgomery's carries per game declined each of the past two years, from 15.6 in 2023 to 13.2 and then 9.3. But credit that to Jahmyr Gibbs' emergence rather than decline from Montgomery.
He now joins a Houston offense that ranked just 24th in adjusted line yards (yards per carry attributed to blocking) each of the past two years. And the Texans are trading away starting RT Tytus Howard.
They'll need to upgrade that line to enhance Montgomery's efficiency outlook. But the veteran should at least garner a lot more touches with Marks instead of Gibbs as his backfield mate.
The biggest question might be which RB plays more in passing situations.
Montgomery, of course, trailed well behind Gibbs in receiving each of the past three years. But last season found Montgomery leading Marks in yards per route and Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade, while trailing the Houston rookie in yards after contact per reception.
The move puts Montgomery in a worse offense but should mean more touches. We'll watch for signals throughout the offseason on just how large a backfield lead the Texans plan to give the vet -- as well as whether they draft another RB.
Expect a modest boost for Montgomery in our fantasy football rankings and a significant dip for Marks.
Gibbs might seem like a big winner here, but his receptions per game already climbed to a career-high 4.5 last season, alongside his second straight year of more than 14 carries per game.
The 202-pounder probably isn't built to handle a lot more work than that weekly, so look for Detroit to add another (cheaper) RB in the draft or free agency.
Marks already carried a modest RB37 best ball ADP, but expect that to fall further. Treat him as a handcuff.
Montgomery stands just ahead of him at RB35 as of this writing. Expect that to climb into the 20s. Montgomery could prove to be a draft value while the market figures out how to value him.
We've had Marks as a "sell" in our Dynasty Trade Targets this offseason. That opportunity has probably passed now.
Montgomery? There's a chance he gets overvalued with this move.
I already mentioned the challenges of his new offense, which finished the past two seasons just 18th and 22nd in total yards; 13th and 19th in scoring.
Combine that with Montgomery heading into his age-29 season, and he doesn't present a good long-term bet.
Whether he emerges as a dynasty sell, hold, or even slight buy, though, could differ by league.
Check our updated dynasty rankings and consider your own situation and format to judge how you should treat Monty.
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