David Montgomery Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Lions RB David Montgomery (thigh) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Dan Campbell isn't ruling Montgomery out just yet for this weekend's game vs. the Falcons, but we're not expecting him to play. We'll see if he gets back on the field tomorrow.

The Lions have promoted RB Zonovan Knight to the active roster. It's an indication that the team expects RB David Montgomery (quad) to at least miss this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. His absence would leave Detroit's backfield to Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, and Knight.

Lions HC Dan Campbell labeled RB David Montgomery "day to day" with his quad injury, according to Tim Twentyman of the team's official website. It's hard to take that timeline seriously when Montgomery said himself this morning that he'll be out "a couple weeks." We'll keep you updated on his status throughout the week. But fantasy owners should not be counting on Montgomery in Week 3 lineups.

Lions RB David Montgomery told reporters Monday morning that he'll need "a couple weeks" for the quad he injured Sunday to heal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That means you'll need to plan for Montgomery to miss at least the next two games, and perhaps more beyond that. Jahmyr Gibbs obviously stands as the backfield's top fantasy play in Montgomery's absence. RB Craig Reynolds also got involved for 3 carries and 1 target after Montgomery left the OT loss to Seattle. Reynolds is worth a pickup in deeper fantasy football leagues, ahead of a Week 3 home date with the Falcons.

Lions RB David Montgomery has a thigh bruise, HC Dan Campbell said after the loss to Seattle. Montgomery is scheduled for more testing on Monday. If that's the extent of the injury, Montgomery doesn't figure to be out for long. We should get another update on his status tomorrow.

Lions RB David Montgomery suffered a right knee injury in the second half of Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks. He was eventually carted back to the locker room. Stay tuned for an update on Montgomery's status.

Update: Montgomery is officially questionable to return with a thigh injury.

Lions RB David Montgomery started Thursday night's opener vs. the Chiefs and operated as the lead back throughout. He played 79% of the offensive snaps and out-carried RB Jahmyr Gibbs 21 to 7, totaling 74 yards and a score. Montgomery wasn't targeted but led the backfield with a 56% route rate. There's no doubt that Gibbs is the more explosive back, but Montgomery's no-nonsense running style is clearly valued by HC Dan Campbell and the Lions. Expect Gibbs' role to grow over the course of the season. But, for now, Montgomery looks like a rock-solid RB2. He gets plus matchups the next two weeks at home for the Seahawks and Falcons.

Speaking with NFL Network's Peter Schrager, Lions GM Brad Holmes assessed his new backfield. "When you look at it systematically, I do think we'll be better offensively," Holmes said. "That's no knock on the contributions that those other two guys gave us. [D’Andre] Swift is a dynamic player and Jamaal [Williams] was a great leader for us, and he did so much for us. He had a great season. But I think [David] Montgomery and Jahmyr [Gibbs] are different backs. Montgomery does a little bit more in the passing game. And being able to add Gibbs, he's just so dynamic as a receiver. Look, he's a home run hitter as a running back, that's the easy part. What he does as a receiver -- he runs routes like a receiver." Holmes added that Gibbs is a “special weapon” who reminds him of Christian McCaffrey and Marshall Faulk. See where both Lions sit in our 2023 RB rankings.

The Lions selected Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Georgia Tech speedster took a chance on himself in 2022 by transferring to SEC powerhouse Alabama. The gamble paid off as Gibbs led the Crimson Tide with 44 receptions and ranked 4th on the team in receiving yards (444). Oh, and he’s an excellent runner as well. Some will question how much of a rushing workload he’ll be able to manage at the NFL level given his 5’9, 199-pound frame, but don’t count Gibbs out because of his size. He shows excellent vision at the 2nd and 3rd levels of the field, possesses plenty of speed (4.36-second 40-yard dash time), and has a keen sense of timing cuts against potential tacklers. This move makes it likely that the Lions will move on from D’Andre Swift. Gibbs would then enter a clear change-of-pace role behind David Montgomery while handling a healthy receiving role. Current projections have him for 56 receptions.

The Lions and RB David Montgomery reached an agreement on a three-year, $18 million contract (with $11 million guaranteed) late on Tuesday evening. The long-time Bear will be moving across the NFC North and running behind a Lions offensive line that ranked 7th in Football Outsiders' adjusted line yards in 2022. Montgomery is more than capable of shouldering a sizeable workload as well, as he's handled 200+ carries in each of his four professional seasons to date. A logical conclusion to draw from this signing is that free agent RB Jamaal Williams is unlikely to return to the Lions at this point. We'll keep an eye out for news regarding where he lands. Where this situation gets dicey is how it potentially affects RB D'Andre Swift, who posted a career-low in touches (147) in 2022 after battling through yet another season of nagging injuries. Couple this Montgomery contract with a subpar injury history, and we may be looking at a significant dynasty value loss for a former NFL second round pick in Swift. He's already starting to slip down our dynasty RB rankings.

Bears RB David Montgomery carried just 6 times for 24 yards in Sunday's loss to the Lions. He added 2 catches for 12 targets, with Chicago completing only 7 passes all game. It was a particularly disappointing performance for the whole offense a week after Detroit allowed 527 total yards to the Panthers. RB Khalil Herbert also factored in for 5-31 rushing. Chicago faces Minnesota in Week 18, a matchup that afforded Montgomery just 12-20-1 rushing in Week 5, but also 4 catches for 62 yards.

The forecast for today's Bills-Bears game calls for temperatures in the single digits, wind chill below zero and winds of 20-25 mph with gusts of 35-40 mph. Not quite as bad as what we're seeing in Cleveland -- but pretty ugly. We've adjusted our projections for this game to account for the weather.

Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) will be designated to return from IR and practice this week. HC Matt Eberflus hinted last week that Herbert was on track to return for Week 16's meeting with the Bills. He averaged 9.3 carries and 54 rushing yards over his last 6 games alongside David Montgomery but totaled just 2 targets during that stretch. Herbert ranked 28th among RBs in non-PPR points across those 6 weeks; 31st in PPR. He's worth owning in most fantasy leagues -- but more as a Montgomery handcuff than Week 16 starter. Herbert's return is a slight ding to Montgomery's fantasy value.

Bears RB David Montgomery scored a TD rushing and another receiving in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. He took 12 carries for 53 yards (4.4 per rush) and caught all 3 of his targets for 38 yards. Montgomery next faces a Bills defense that got run over by Raheem Mostert on Saturday night. then comes a rematch with the Lions, who only allowed Montgomery 44 total yards on 9 carries and 1 catch in Week 10. The team expects Khalil Herbert to come off IR in Week 16, which will affect Montgomery's outlook.

Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) is on track to come off IR when first eligible next week. "He’s getting ready to go,” HC Matt Eberflus said Monday. “He’s been hitting his max speeds. His jumps look good, and the power in his legs look great. So, we’re excited about that." Herbert averaged 11.3 carries over his last 4 games, so he could be useful in deeper non-PPR leagues down the stretch. He, of course, is also the David Montgomery handcuff once healthy.

Bears RB David Montgomery ran for 61 yards and a TD on 14 carries in Sunday's loss to the Packers. Darrynton Evans handled the team's only 3 other RB carries. Montgomery drew all 5 backfield targets, catching 4 for 6 yards.

Bears QB Justin Fields (shoulder) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Jets. He got in 3 limited practices this week, so we’ll see if he can get cleared for Week 13. QB Trevor Siemian makes his 30th career start today. He owns a 59% completion rate and 6.6 yards-per-attempt average. Chicago figures to throw it at least a bit more with Siemian under center, but we wouldn’t consider this an upgrade for anyone on the offense.

Bears RB David Montgomery matched a season-high with 17 carries in a Week 11 loss at Atlanta. He notched 3.9 YPC and 1 TD, which was setup by a defensive holding call. Montgomery added 3 catches for 54 yards through the air, with a big chunk coming on a beautiful downfield pass by Justin Fields. Rookie Trestan Ebner mixed in for 6 carries (0 targets), but he managed just 1.3 YPC. With Khalil Herbert set to miss at least 3 more games, Montgomery will remain a solid RB2 going forward. Next up is a road date with the Jets.

The Bears have placed RB Khalil Herbert on IR for the hip injury that knocked him out of Sunday's loss to the Lions. With rookie Tristan Ebner now the only other healthy RB on the roster, David Montgomery should be set up for plenty of work over at least the next 4 weeks, starting with a terrific matchup against the Falcons this week. We'll see about the expected return timeline for Herbert.