Montgomery rushed 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for two yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams. After watching Jahmyr Gibbs score a one-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, Montgomery powered in one of his own to win the game in overtime. That touchdown capped a drive on which Montgomery dominated a tired Rams defense, producing 45 yards and the game-winning score on five rushing attempts. Montgomery will look to build on the momentum from his strong finish when the Lions host the Buccaneers in Week 2.
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Status
ACTIVENext game projections (vs. TB 9/15)
ATT
RUSH YDS
TD
REC
REC TD
12.9
59.1
0.8
1.3
0
Latest David Montgomery news
2024 Season Rushing
CAR
YDS
AVG
TD
LNG
FD
FUM
17
91
5.4
1
21
6
0
2024 Season Receiving
REC
TGTS
YDS
AVG
TD
LNG
YAC
1
1
2
2
0
2
2
Team
Detroit Lions
Birthdate
6/7/1997 (27)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'11", 230 lbs
Draft Info
2019: Rd 3; Pk (CHI)
Birthplace
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Position
RB
College
Iowa State
Experience
6 seasons
Career History
Detroit Lions
2023-Present
(2 seasons)
Chicago Bears
2019-2023
(4 seasons)
-
DraftKings points 13.1FanDuel Points 12.5ATT 12.9TD 0.8RUSH YDS 59.1LNG 13.5REC 1.3REC TD 0.0REC YDS 8.7AVG 6.5RAC 8.2CBSS fantasy points 11.5ESPN fantasy points 11.5Yahoo fantasy points 12.2
Pregame Probabilities
Expected to run >100 RYDS10% -
Full season projectionsATT 177.3TD 4.7RUSH YDS 786.7LNG 25.0REC 21.9REC YDS 111.8AVG 5.1
Montgomery rushed 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for two yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams. After watching Jahmyr Gibbs score a one-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, Montgomery powered in one of his own to win the game in overtime. That touchdown capped a drive on which Montgomery dominated a tired Rams defense, producing 45 yards and the game-winning score on five rushing attempts. Montgomery will look to build on the momentum from his strong finish when the Lions host the Buccaneers in Week 2.
Montgomery is entering his second campaign as a primary backfield option for the Lions. Montgomery signed with Detroit ahead of the 2023 campaign, turning 219 carries into 1,015 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns, while also securing 16 receptions for 117 yards over 14 games with the Lions. The running back operated in the more "traditional" role in the backfield while Jahmyr Gibbs handled more of the receiving work at the position. Although Montgomery had a career low in receptions, his role as the bruiser with Detroit has proven to be a fruitful one over the last two years, with Jamaal Williams scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground for the Lions in 2022. With Gibbs' ADP in the first or second rounds of fantasy drafts, Montgomery's ADP sits around the mid-60s, providing great value to fantasy managers.
Montgomery was a limited participant Wednesday in the Lions' first Week 13 practice, but his ability to take every rep a day later clears up any concern about his availability for Sunday's game in New Orleans. Since overcoming a rib injury following the Lions' Week 9 bye, the fifth-year running back is averaging 13.7 touches and 95.0 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring a touchdown in each of Detroit's last three contests.
Before the Lions went on bye Week 9, Montgomery missed the team's previous two games with a rib cartilage injury. The time off appears to have allowed Montgomery to heal, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com relays that the running back didn't seem too inhibited while participating in Monday's walk-through workout coming off the bye week. In the three games this season in which both Montgomery and first-round pick Gibbs have been available, Montgomery has handily paced the Detroit backfield, averaging 24 touches in those contests. However, with Gibbs averaging 5.3 yards per carry on the season and coming off a landmark performance Week 8 against the Raiders in which he accounted for 189 yards from scrimmage, the rookie could end up poaching more work from the veteran than he had previously. Campbell told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on Monday that he intends to take the backfield "a little by committee," adding that Gibbs will "get his fair share now."
It never seemed possible Montgomery would play prior to the team's Week 9 bye, especially given the severity of the rib cartilage issue. In Montgomery's two absences this season, Jahmyr Gibbs has tallied 148 rushing yards on 28 carries to go along with 16 receptions for 97 yards and one touchdown. Expect the rookie and Craig Reynolds to get a heavy workload against a vulnerable Raiders defense.
With two straight absences to begin Week 8 prep, Montgomery appears to be trending toward missing a second straight game due to a rib cartilage injury. The Lions will wait and see what Montgomery is able to do Saturday -- if anything -- before handing him a designation for Monday's game against the Raiders. If Montgomery is once again sidelined Week 8, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs would be in line for another turn as the Lions' lead back.