David

Montgomery

The catch was arguably the top play of the season through four weeks as Montgomery shed a massive tackle in the middle of the field before breaking three more tackles on his way to a high-step down the sideline and huge gain. He scored his touchdown in the first quarter to get his team on the board before sharing work with fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs the rest of the way. Montgomery continues to be a weekly RB2 with RB1 upside in fantasy circles, even in the split backfield, due to sheer volume, a tangible red zone role, and the efficiency of the offense. Montgomery and the Lions head to their bye in Week 5 before traveling to Dallas to face the Cowboys in Week 6.

Montgomery out-carried Jahmyr Gibbs 23-16, scored a short touchdown, and even out-targeted the young back 3-0. From a volume perspective, this was as good as it gets for Montgomery. He has now scored in three straight games and is averaging a respectable three receptions per game on top of his elite rushing workload. The Lions will be favored at home in Week 4 against the Seahawks, setting Montgomery up to extend his scoring streak to four games.

The Lions offensive line wasn’t getting the same push they did against the Rams in Week 1. Tampa Bay’s defensive front was stout even without Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea. Montgomery ran hard as he appears to be in tremendous shape this year, but managed just 3.2 yards a carry. Four receptions and a one yard touchdown run saved his day from a fantasy perspective. Montgomery will continue to set the tone in the Lions backfield in Week 3 against the Cardinals on the road.

Montgomery started hot in this one, starting the game as the primary ball carrier before taking a backseat to Jahmyr Gibbs in the second half. Overtime was a different story as the team rode Montgomery’s fierce between-the-tackles running to the game-winning score on the first possession. The backfield split between Montgomery and Gibbs remained fairly even as the former saw 18 opportunities to the 17 of the latter. Expect a similar split moving forward, which largely places a cap on the weekly floor and ceiling of Gibbs in the process. That said, Gibbs could see more usage in Week 2 when the team hosts the Buccaneers’ stout run defense in Detroit.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday morning that Gibbs — who picked up a hamstring injury on Monday — is “gonna be fine.” Schultz confirmed Gibbs’ injury isn’t a long-term issue, and barring any setbacks in the coming weeks, the second-year back should suit up for Week 1 against LA. In Detroit’s postseason win over the Rams last season, Gibbs had 25 yards on eight carries and four catches for 43 yards.

“I think we’re gonna be fine here,” Campbell said during a Wednesday radio interview. “So, I think we’ll be good.” It’s not much to quell the concerns about an extended absence for Gibbs, but it suggests the second-year back’s hamstring injury won’t be of the long-term variety. Even so, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Gibbs to sit out practice for days or even weeks as the team preps for its Week 1 game against the Patriots. David Montgomery would likely work as an every-down back if Gibbs were to miss any time in the regular season.

Lions GM Brad Holmes said two weeks ago said the team is ramping up the second-year back for a heftier workload in 2024. Montgomery said the team needs Gibbs “to go from a passing game standpoint is go to the next level. ... I do think there’s a certain difference between being a really efficient check-down versus a great route-runner, a guy that can run all types of choice (routes). We know we’ve seen him do those things. But now can you go into the slot and a little bit more down the field, some intermediate stuff. Can we continue to grow him there, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” This is standard fare for offseason talk of a talented pass-catching running back. Gibbs in 2023 ran 9.2 percent of his routes from the slot. We could see a slight bump in that slot usage but it doesn’t change much about his statistical profile.

Montgomery handily outperformed expectations in his first season in Detroit, riding 13 touchdowns to an RB17 finish in PPR scoring. He was also one of only 12 backs to surpass 1,000 yards rushing on the season, doing so in just 14 games played. That left him as the RB15 in fantasy points per game in the first year of a three-year contract with the Lions. The backfield should look similar when the calendar turns over to the new league year considering the Lions invested significant capital in rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs prior to the 2023 season.

Montgomery was highly ineffective and drew a critical chop block penalty in the fourth quarter. He had one more carry than Jahmyr Gibbs, who totaled 114 yards and scored the Lions’ only rushing touchdown of the day. Montgomery remains a touchdown-dependent DFS option who doesn’t get much beyond what is blocked for him. Gibbs should be more of a priority for the Lions in the NFC title game against the 49ers.

The Lions were able to control the game flow throughout, leading by 11 points on two separate occasions in the first half. That led to a more nuanced offensive approach in the second half, while Montgomery primarily split time with rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Those two factors combined to hold his workload in check in the narrow victory. Montgomery could have two very different matchups on deck for the Divisional Round pending the winner of the Eagles-Buccaneers game on Monday.